Word
勤勉
Meaning in Englishindustry, diligence
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
勤勉 means a steady, earnest commitment to work or study, embodying consistent effort over time. It describes a person who applies themselves with care, avoids laziness, and maintains focus toward long-term goals.
Main meanings
- Persistence in daily routines and steady performance over time, especially in academic or professional tasks.
- Formal, descriptor use in resumes, performance reviews, biographies, and educational assessments.
- Conveys a neutral to positive attribute of a person who consistently applies effort, often without rapid or flashy results.
How to use it
勤勉 is used in formal or semi-formal Japanese to describe a person's work ethic; it appears in biographies, corporate reports, and educational contexts. The noun form can be used with the adjectival inflection 勤勉な to modify people or groups; in casual speech a simpler term might be used instead.
Variants and close terms
- 勤勉さ (きんべんさ, kinbensa) – the quality or state of being diligent; similar nuance to 勤勉.
- 勤勉的 (きんべんてき, kinbenteki) – an adjective meaning diligent or showing diligence.
- 勤労 (きんろう, kinrō) – labor or toil; related concept with broader scope.
- 怠惰 (たいだ, taida) – laziness; antonym.
Composition
- 勤: to work, be diligent; duty, employment
- 勉: to exert, to strive, to endeavour; effort, discipline
- 勤勉 together conveys a sustained, conscientious work ethic that blends diligent activity with exerted effort
Word class
noun (na-adjective) (勤勉な)