実力
Meaning in Englishreal ability, true strength
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 実力 mean? 実力 denotes the level of actual ability or power a person or thing demonstrates, beyond potential or reputation, referring to the concrete skills, performance, and strength one can reliably show in tasks, tests, or competitions.
Main meanings
- Actual skill level in a given field, especially when performance is compared to expectations or others
- Demonstrated performance under challenging conditions, such as tests or competitions
- Merit or standing based on verifiable ability, rather than fame or promise
- In sports and competition, the capacity to exert power or demonstrate superiority
How to use it
Used as a noun to denote actual ability; in formal contexts like exams, workplaces, and sports commentary, 実力 emphasizes demonstrable skill. In casual speech you might say 実力がある or 実力を出す; common collocations include 実力を発揮する, 実力テスト, 実力差.
Variants and close terms
- 能力 (のうりょく) — ability, capacity
- 技量 (ぎりょう) — technical skill and competence
- 力量 (りきりょう) — strength, capacity
- 実力差 (じつりょくさ) — gap in ability
Composition
- 実: real, true, actual
- 力: power, strength, effort
Etymology
じつりょく is the standard on'yomi reading formed from 実 and 力, with 実 meaning real or true and 力 meaning power or strength; the compound conveys the sense of real, demonstrable power.
Origin
From Sino-Japanese borrowing of kanji compounds, 実力 was adopted into Japanese and became common in modern contexts such as education, sports, and business to denote tangible ability.
Word class
noun (名詞)