けんか

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 弟と小さなことでけんかをしました。▶ —
   I had a quarrel with my little brother over something small.
2. 友達とけんかしても、すぐに仲直りします。▶ —
   Even if I quarrel with a friend, we make up right away.

Collocations

Mnemonic

けんか — standardly written in kana (the kanji 喧嘩 lies outside the common-use set). It covers anything from a verbal argument to a physical fight. A noun and a suru-verb: けんかする. Through rendaku it voices to げんか in 夫婦げんか (a married couple's quarrel). It pairs naturally with 仲直り (making up).

Quick check

1. Why is けんか usually written in kana?

   • its kanji 喧嘩 is outside the common-use set
   • it is a loanword
   • it is an onomatopoeia
   • it is honorific