一生懸命
Meaning in Englishwith utmost effort, very hard, earnestly
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
A phrase meaning to exert oneself with all one’s energy; it describes performing a task with unwavering dedication and diligence, often used to express trying as hard as possible.
Main meanings
- emphasizes putting all one's energy into a task
- conveys wholehearted, diligent effort rather than a casual attempt
- often used to describe study, work, sports, or crafts requiring persistence
- can function as an adverbial modifier for verbs in sentences
How to use it
Used before verbs to describe how an action is performed; common in both casual and formal speech, with variants including 一生懸命に勉強する or 一生懸命勉強する, depending on style and emphasis.
Variants and close terms
- 精一杯 (seiippai) — maximum effort
- 全力を尽くす (zenryoku wo tsukusu) — to spare no effort
- 全力投球 (zenryoku toukyuu) — give it your best shot
Composition
- 一生 — lifetime, one's entire life
- 懸命 — earnest effort, with life at stake
- Combination — devoting one's life energy to a task; extreme effort
Etymology
isshōkenmei is a compound formed by combining 一生 (いっしょう) lifetime and 懸命 (けんめい) earnest effort; in compounds the readings fuse to produce the common pronunciation.
Origin
Meiji period onward; usage spread widely in modern Japanese and everyday speech, reinforcing the notion of giving maximum effort in any task.
Word class
expression (慣用句)