Meaning and Usage
"主張" (しゅちょう) means to claim, insist, or assert something strongly, often one's opinion or rights. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts when someone wants to express their viewpoint firmly.
Common Contexts
You will often hear "主張" in discussions, debates, meetings, or legal contexts where people express their opinions or demands clearly and forcefully.
Collocations and Patterns
- 主張する: to assert or claim something.
- 自分の主張: one's own assertion or opinion.
- 権利を主張する: to assert one's rights.
- 強く主張する: to insist strongly.
Usage Notes
When using "主張," the speaker implies a confident or firm stance. It is more formal than casual expressions like "言う" (to say). Be careful not to confuse "主張" with "要求" (ようきゅう), which means a demand or request rather than an assertion of opinion.
Register
"主張" is neutral to formal and suitable for written and spoken Japanese in professional or serious conversations.