Japanese word

頑張る

Pronunciation

Romajiganbaru

Meaning

  • verbdo one's best

Example

明日の試合で頑張ります。asu no shi ai de gan ba ri ma su

I will do my best in tomorrow's game.

Illustration for 頑張る (do one's best)

More examples

今日は頑張ります。kyō wa gan ba ri ma su

I will do my best today.

みんなで声をかけ合って頑張りましょう。mi n na de koe o ka ke a tte gan ba ri ma shō

Let's encourage one another and do our best together.

Core concept

Expresses sustained effort and determination in the face of difficulty.

Common phrases

  • 頑張ってgan ba tte

    hang in there

  • 最後まで頑張るsai go ma de gan ba ru

    do one's best until the end

Similar words

努力するdoryokusuru: To work hard to achieve a goal or produce a desired result.

Definition in Japanese

力を尽くして、困難に負けず物事に取り組む。chikara o tsu ku shi te kon nan ni ma ke zu mono goto ni to ri ku mu

Word origin

The native verb がんばる (ganbaru) is commonly written 頑張る (ganbaru) as an ateji spelling, and its exact origin is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • Among English-speaking learners, 頑張って (ganbatte) is often heard as encouragement, while 頑張る (ganbaru) describes the person's own effort.

Other meanings

  • hang in thereverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 頑張りganbarieffortnoun
  • 頑張り屋ganbariyahard workernoun

Word lists with this word