Ganbaru (頑張る) is one of the most-used verbs in the Japanese language: to try one's best, to persevere, to give it everything and hang on. More than a word, it is a deeply held value: the belief that sustained effort and endurance are admirable in themselves, whatever the outcome. To understand ganbaru is to understand a great deal about how Japanese society thinks about work, school, and hardship.
To stick it out
Ganbaru means to push on through difficulty, to persist and not give up. It is woven into daily life through its everyday forms. Ganbatte!, "do your best, hang in there!", is what you say to someone facing an exam, a race, a hard day, or an illness, the standard word of encouragement. Ganbarimasu, "I'll do my best," is how you answer a challenge or accept a task. And ganbatta honours effort already spent: "you worked hard, you gave it your all." The praise attaches to the trying, not only the winning.
The virtue, and its shadow
Ganbaru sits at the heart of a cluster of related values: doryoku (努力), diligent effort; gaman (我慢), patient endurance of hardship without complaint; and konjō (根性), guts or fighting spirit. Together they underpin the famous work ethic of Japanese students and employees, and the collective grit shown in the face of disaster, when "ganbarō," "let's persevere together," becomes a rallying cry for a whole community. But the value has a shadow side. The same pressure to endure and never quit is tied to the darker realities of overwork, of not resting when one should, even of karōshi, death from overwork. Ganbaru is a genuine strength; knowing when not to is a harder lesson.
Words & idioms to take away
Idioms & proverbs to carry away
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頑張って / 頑張ります (ganbatte / ganbarimasu): "do your best / I'll do my best": the everyday phrases of encouragement and resolve, heard countless times a day.
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我慢 (gaman): "endurance, patient perseverance," bearing the difficult or unpleasant with dignity and without complaint; a close companion of ganbaru.