軍備（ぐんび、gunbi）
- armaments

The Japanese word 軍備 ぐんび refers to "military preparations," "armaments," "military buildup," or "armament." It encompasses all aspects related to a country's military strength, including weapons, equipment, personnel, and infrastructure. It describes the state of a nation's ability to wage war or defend itself. The term often implies an intentional process of increasing or maintaining such capabilities.

⚫︎ 日本は軍備を増強した。 Translation: Japan strengthened its military preparations. ⚫︎ 軍備競争は世界平和を脅かす。 Translation: The arms race threatens world peace. ⚫︎ その国は経済発展よりも軍備に力を入れている。 Translation: That country is putting more effort into military preparations than economic development.

This word is typically used in formal or semi-formal contexts when discussing military matters, international relations, defense policies, or strategic planning. You'd find it in news reports, academic papers, political speeches, and official documents. It is appropriate when talking about a country's military strength, the development or acquisition of weapons, or the build-up of military forces. Avoid it in casual conversation unless the topic is of a serious, potentially political nature.

軍備 is written using the kanji 軍 (gun), meaning "military" or "army," and 備 (bi), meaning "preparation," "provision," or "equipment." The word is pronounced ぐんび. There are no other ways to write this word. The okurigana is fixed.

⚫︎ 兵力 (heiryoku) - military strength; armed forces ⚫︎ 軍事力 (gunjiriyoku) - military power ⚫︎ 兵器 (heiki) - arms; weapons ⚫︎ 武装 (busou) - armament; arming

⚫︎ 非武装化 (hibusouka) - demilitarization; disarmament ⚫︎ 軍縮 (gunshuku) - arms reduction; arms control ⚫︎ 平和 (heiwa) - peace

近年、アジア地域では軍備拡張の動きが活発化している。 ・Translation: In recent years, the trend of military build-up has intensified in the Asian region. ・Explanation: This sentence discusses the increasing military preparedness activities in Asia.

その国の軍備は周辺国の安全保障にとって脅威となりうる。 ・Translation: That country's military preparations could pose a threat to the security of neighboring countries. ・Explanation: This sentence points out the potential negative impact of a country's military development on regional stability.

The word 軍備 is a compound word formed from the kanji 軍 (gun), which comes from Chinese and represents "military" or "army," and 備 (bi), also from Chinese, meaning "to prepare" or "equipment." The combination of these two characters signifies the preparation or equipment of a military force.