兵士（へいし、heishi）
- soldier

The Japanese word 兵士 (へいし, *heishi*) means "soldier," "military personnel," or "serviceman." It refers to a person who is a member of an armed force, especially an army, and is trained to fight. 兵士 typically participate in military operations and are responsible for defending their country or engaging in combat.

⚫︎ あの国は多くの兵士を派遣しました。 Translation: That country dispatched many soldiers. ⚫︎ 戦争で多くの兵士が命を落としました。 Translation: Many soldiers lost their lives in the war. ⚫︎ 彼は勇敢な兵士として知られています。 Translation: He is known as a brave soldier.

This word is used in formal and informal contexts when discussing military matters, warfare, or individuals serving in the military. It can be used in news reports, historical accounts, novels, conversations, and many other situations. You can use 兵士 to refer to individual soldiers or to the collective group of soldiers within a military force.

The word is typically written in kanji as 兵士. The reading is へいし (hiragana). There are no other standard ways to write this word. The okurigana is not applicable in this case.

⚫︎ 軍人 (*gunjin*) - military personnel, soldier (more general term) ⚫︎ 歩兵 (*hohei*) - infantry soldier ⚫︎ 兵隊 (*heitai*) - soldier (a more casual term) ⚫︎ 軍人 (*gunjin*) - military personnel

⚫︎ 民間人 (*minkan-jin*) - civilian

彼は経験豊富な兵士で、多くの戦闘を経験しました。 ・Translation: He is an experienced soldier and has experienced many battles. ・Explanation: This sentence describes an individual who is a soldier and has had significant combat experience.

その兵士は祖国のために勇敢に戦った。 ・Translation: That soldier fought bravely for their homeland. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the act of a soldier fighting for their country.

The word 兵士 is a compound word. 兵 (*hei*) means "soldier," "arms," or "military." 士 (*shi*) means "scholar," "gentleman," or "man." Therefore, 兵士 combines these two characters to indicate "a soldier" or "one who serves in the military."