Japanese word

奮闘

Pronunciation

Romajifuntō

Meaning

  • nounstruggle

Example

彼は問題の解決に向けて奮闘しています。kare wa mon dai no kai ketsu ni mu ke te fun tō shi te i ma su

He is struggling to solve the problem.

Illustration for 奮闘 (struggle)

More examples

チームの奮闘が、逆転勝利を引き寄せました。chī mu no fun tō ga gyaku ten shō ri o hi ki yo se ma shi ta

The team's hard work led to a come-from-behind victory.

Core concept

Centers on continuing to apply strength and resolve when a task or problem resists easy success.

Common phrases

  • 奮闘を続けるfun tō o tsuzu ke ru

    continue struggling

  • 奮闘を重ねるfun tō o kasa ne ru

    make strenuous efforts

Similar words

苦闘kutō: It involves prolonged effort while facing severe difficulty or hardship.
奮戦funsen: It describes fighting hard against an opponent or challenge, especially in a contest.
努力doryoku: It means using time and energy to reach a goal, with no required degree of difficulty.
頑張りganbari: It refers to persistent effort in casual speech.

Definition in Japanese

問題や目標の達成に向けて、苦労しながら懸命に努力すること。mon dai ya moku hyō no tas sei ni mu ke te ku rō shi na ga ra ken mei ni do ryoku su ru ko to

Word origin

奮闘 (funtō) combines 奮 (fun, "exert oneself") with 闘 (tō, "fight"), expressing the idea of fighting through a demanding task by making a strong effort.

Usage tips

  • 奮闘 (funtō) has a formal and serious tone, making it common in descriptions of difficult work, competition, or efforts to overcome a problem.

Other meanings

  • strenuous effortnoun

Word lists with this word