選手（せんしゅ、senshu）
- athlete

The Japanese word 選手 選手 (せんしゅ) means "athlete," "player," or "competitor." It refers to someone who participates in a sport or competition, representing a team, country, or themselves. This word applies to individuals engaged in various sports, games, and competitions.

⚫︎サッカー選手 Translation: Soccer player ⚫︎オリンピック選手 Translation: Olympic athlete ⚫︎プロ選手 Translation: Professional athlete

⚫︎You can use 選手 to describe anyone participating in a sport. ⚫︎It is used in formal and informal contexts. ⚫︎It's common to use it when talking about sports, competitions, and teams.

⚫︎This word is typically written using the kanji 選手, but can be written in hiragana as せんしゅ. ⚫︎The okurigana (送りがな) is consistent; there are no variations.

⚫︎アスリート (asurīto) - athlete (loanword, mainly for professional athletes or those with high status) ⚫︎プレイヤー (pureiyā) - player (loanword) ⚫︎競技者 (きょうぎしゃ) - competitor

⚫︎There is no single direct antonym for 選手. However, words like 観客 (かんきゃく - audience/spectator) or ファン (fan) could be considered opposite roles.

そのバスケットボール選手はとても上手です。 ・Translation: That basketball player is very good. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the skill of a basketball player, using the word 選手.

日本代表の選手たちは試合に向けて練習しています。 ・Translation: The players representing Japan are practicing for the game. ・Explanation: This sentence refers to the athletes representing Japan in a competition.

The word 選手 is a compound word. The first kanji, 選 (せん), means "to select" or "to choose." The second kanji, 手 (しゅ), means "hand" or, in this context, "person." Therefore, 選手 literally translates to "selected person," implying someone chosen to participate in a competition.