- senpou advance guard, vanguard; athlete who competes in the first match of a team competition (kendo, judo, etc.)
Used in formal or sports contexts to refer to the first competitor in team matches or the vanguard in battle; not common in everyday casual conversation.
彼は先鋒として試合に出た。
Kare wa senpou to shite shiai ni deta.
He played in the match as the vanguard.
先鋒が勝てば、流れが来る。
Senpou ga kateba, nagare ga kuru.
If the vanguard wins, we get momentum.
⚖️ Often confused with '先頭' (sentou), which means 'front' or 'lead' in general contexts, whereas '先鋒' specifically refers to the first player in team competitions or the lead unit in battle.
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Found in a wide range of contexts. Useful for building reading and listening fluency.
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