How to say "endurance" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 我慢がまんnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbCovers endurance in the everyday sense of bearing with something unpleasant — pain, hunger, annoyance — and holding back rather than complaining. The word you reach for when a person simply puts up with it.
- 耐久たいきゅうnounRefers to endurance as durability — how long a thing holds up under use, stress, or time. It is seldom the word you want for a person bearing hardship; think of products and materials.
- 忍耐にんたいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbEndurance as forbearance: bearing hardship, pain, or provocation with patience and willpower over a long stretch. Weightier and more abstract than 我慢, it suggests suffering borne with quiet fortitude.
- 持久じきゅうnoun, suru verbEndurance as staying power: the capacity to keep going or hold out over a long period, whether physical stamina or a drawn-out contest. It is about lasting, not about bearing pain.
- 辛抱しんぼうnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbPatience and endurance in the sense of bearing a trying situation and holding out until it eases or something better comes. Close to 我慢, with more emphasis on patiently waiting things out.
Use 我慢 or 辛抱 for personally putting up with hardship, 忍耐 for weightier forbearance, and 耐久 or 持久 for endurance as lasting power — 耐久 of things, 持久 of stamina.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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