反抗（はんこう、hankou）
- resistance

The Japanese word 反抗 (reading: はんこう) means "rebellion," "resistance," or "defiance." It describes the act of opposing authority, refusing to comply with rules or orders, or challenging someone's power. It implies a deliberate act of going against something, rather than simply disagreeing or misunderstanding. The level of 反抗 can range from a minor act of disobedience to a major uprising or challenge to a system.

⚫︎ 彼は親の言うことに反抗して、家を出た。 Translation: He defied his parents and left home. ⚫︎ 学生たちは学校の規則に反抗した。 Translation: The students rebelled against the school rules. ⚫︎ その国は、外国からの侵略に激しく反抗した。 Translation: The country fiercely resisted the foreign invasion.

⚫︎ 反抗 is typically used in formal and informal situations. ⚫︎ It is appropriate when referring to individuals, groups, or even nations. ⚫︎ You can use it to describe actions, attitudes, or stances. ⚫︎ The verb form can be conjugated, for instance, 反抗する (to rebel), 反抗した (rebelled), 反抗しない (will not rebel).

⚫︎ The word is written using the kanji 反 (han - meaning "against", "oppose," "rebel") and 抗 (kō - meaning "resist," "oppose"). ⚫︎ Hiragana reading is はんこう. ⚫︎ The okurigana is typically not changed, with 反抗する being the common verb form.

⚫︎ 抵抗 (teikō) - resistance ⚫︎ 逆らう (sakurau) - to disobey, to go against ⚫︎ 対抗 (taikō) - opposition, rivalry ⚫︎ 反発 (hanpatsu) - repulsion, opposition

⚫︎ 服従 (fukujū) - obedience, submission ⚫︎ 従う (shitagau) - to obey, to follow ⚫︎ 従順 (jūjun) - obedience, docility

彼は父親の厳しいしつけに反抗し、家を飛び出した。 ・Translation: He rebelled against his father's strict discipline and ran away from home. ・Explanation: This sentence describes someone's defiant action against their father’s rules.

その会社は、従業員の要求に頑なに反抗した。 ・Translation: The company stubbornly resisted the employees' demands. ・Explanation: This sentence depicts a company's act of defiance in the face of employee demands.

The kanji 反 and 抗 independently have meanings related to opposition and resistance. When combined, they intensify this meaning, literally meaning "oppose" + "resist". The combination is a common way to denote acts of defiance or rebellion in Japanese.