Word
一生懸命
Meaning in Englishwith utmost effort, very hard, earnestly
Animated kanji stroke order
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)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
革命
kakumei
revolution
N1
生真面目
kimajime
serious, sincerity
N1
生かす
ikasu
to keep something alive; to make use of
N1
生き甲斐
ikigai
something one lives for, very important
N1
(花を〜) 生ける, 活ける
(hanao～) ikeru
to arrange (flowers)
N1
新入生
shinnyuusei
new student, first-year student, freshman
N1
生育
seiiku
growth, development, breeding
N1
生計
seikei
livelihood, living
N1
生死
seishi
life and death
Related kanji
N5
一
ichi, itsu / hito-, hito.tsu
one, one radical (no.1), un
N5
生
sei, shou / i.kiru, i.kasu, i.keru, u.mareru, uma.reru, u.mare, umare, u.mu, o.u, ha.eru, ha.yasu, ki, nama, nama-, na.ru, na.su, mu.su, -u
life, genuine, birth
N1
懸
ken, ke / ka.keru, ka.karu
state of suspension, hang, depend
N3
命
mei, myou / inochi
fate, command, decree