励む
Meaning in Englishto be zealous, to make an effort
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
To strive or exert oneself toward a goal; 励む describes putting steady effort into study, practice, or work with perseverance and self-discipline.
Main meanings
- to make a sustained effort toward a goal, especially by focusing energy on study or work
- to exert oneself physically or mentally; to persevere through a challenging task
- often used with phrases like 練習に励む, 研究に励む to describe active dedication in Japanese contexts
How to use it
Used to describe personal effort and perseverance in Japanese; contexts range from formal to everyday speech; used with phrases such as 練習に励む, 研究に励む; it is intransitive and is not used to encourage others (that nuance belongs to 励ます).
Variants and close terms
- 努力する (doryoku suru) — to make an effort
- 奮闘する (funtou suru) — to strive, to fight hard
- 尽力する (jinryoku suru) — to exert all one's strength
- 怠ける (namakeru) — to be lazy (antonym)
Composition
- 励: spur, to encourage; combined with -む to form an intransitive verb that expresses self-imposed exertion
Etymology
Etymology The kun'yomi はげむ attaches to the kanji 励, with the verb-ending -む; the kanji 励 conveys motivation or urging, and together they express the act of urging oneself to act.
Origin
A long-standing native verb used in classical and modern Japanese to describe self-imposed effort in study, work, sport, and daily life.
Word class
verb (五段動詞)