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Kanji for Team
The kanji most commonly used for "Team" are 隊、組.
隊
Kanji that mean Team
Everyday modern Japanese borrows the English word — チーム — for a sports side or a project team, so the choice between these characters matters mostly in compounds and names.
隊 is an organized unit with a mission and a commander, military in origin: 部隊 (a unit), 軍隊 (armed forces), 消防隊 (a fire brigade), 隊長 (the one in charge). It implies rank, discipline and being assembled from above.
組 is a group formed by joining people together. The verb 組む means to team up, to pair off, to link arms; 組合 is a union, 番組 is a broadcast program, and Japanese schools split children into 赤組 and 白組, the red and white teams, for sports day. Where 隊 is issued as an order, 組 is put together — it is the warmer and more everyday character, and the better fit for a team of equals.
Words using Team kanji
Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.
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自衛隊
じえいたい
Japan Self-Defense Forces; JSDF; self-defence force
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番組
ばんぐみ
program (e.g. TV); programme
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部隊
ぶたい
force; unit; corps
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組織
そしき
organization; organisation; formation
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隊員
たいいん
troops; group members; team members
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組合
くみあい
association; union; guild
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軍隊
ぐんたい
armed forces; military; troops
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労組
ろうそ
labor union; labour union; trade union
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艦隊
かんたい
(naval) fleet; armada
Before you use Team kanji
組 is the friendlier character for a team of equals, but be aware that yakuza organizations are named with it (X組, 組長 for the boss), so it can read as 'crew' in the criminal sense. 隊 reads as a squad or brigade under a commander.