奮闘|ふんとうfuntou[0]heiban (flat)
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- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbstrenuous effort; hard struggle; working hard
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbhard fighting; fierce fighting
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 奮闘する(ふんとうする) |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 奮闘します(ふんとうします) |
| Negative (nai) | 奮闘しない(ふんとうしない) |
| polite (masen) | 奮闘しません(ふんとうしません) |
| classical zu / nu | 奮闘せず・奮闘せぬ(ふんとうせず・ふんとうせぬ) |
| Past (ta) | 奮闘した(ふんとうした) |
| polite (mashita) | 奮闘しました(ふんとうしました) |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 奮闘しなかった(ふんとうしなかった) |
| polite (masen deshita) | 奮闘しませんでした(ふんとうしませんでした) |
| Te form | 奮闘して(ふんとうして) |
| Potential | 奮闘できる(ふんとうできる) |
| Passive | 奮闘される(ふんとうされる) |
| Causative | 奮闘させる(ふんとうさせる) |
| Causative passive | 奮闘させられる(ふんとうさせられる) |
| Conditional (ba) | 奮闘すれば(ふんとうすれば) |
| tara | 奮闘したら(ふんとうしたら) |
| Volitional | 奮闘しよう(ふんとうしよう) |
| polite (mashou) | 奮闘しましょう(ふんとうしましょう) |
| Imperative | 奮闘しろ(ふんとうしろ) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Synonym格闘かくとうNeutralHand-to-hand combat, or figuratively wrestling with a hard problem, as in 「問題と格闘する」; it stresses the grappling itself.
- Related戦いたたかいNeutralA broad word for fighting or struggle of any kind; 「奮闘」 stresses the look of giving it your all, as in 「孤軍奮闘」.
- Related闘争とうそうWrittenA written, formal word for struggle or conflict, by groups or individuals alike, as in 「権力闘争」「病魔との闘争」; it stresses confrontation.
- Related苦労くろうNeutralHardship and toil, as in 「苦労をかける」; it is about suffering and effort endured, not the all-out fighting spirit of 「奮闘」.
- Related戦うたたかうNeutralA verb meaning to fight; 「奮闘」 is a noun that stresses the look of going all out.
- Related取り組むとりくむNeutralTo tackle something seriously, as in 「課題に取り組む」; it stresses getting to work on a task rather than battling at full strength.
- Related四苦八苦しくはっくCasualColloquial: to be hard pressed or floundering, as in 「資金繰りに四苦八苦する」; it stresses being at one's wits' end.
- Related争闘そうとうWrittenA written word for strife or fighting; rare in modern Japanese.
- Related辛労しんろうWrittenA written word for toil and hardship; rare in modern usage.
- RelatedあがきCasualColloquial: desperate struggling, as in 「最後の足掻き」; it implies the effort is futile.
- Antonym怠惰たいだWrittenA written word for laziness; the opposite of the all-out effort of 「奮闘」.
- Antonym無為むいWrittenA written word for idleness or inaction; the opposite of 「奮闘」.
Use 「奮闘」 for going all out in a struggle, as in 「孤軍奮闘」 or 「奮闘努力」. For general fighting or struggle pick 「戦い」; for grappling with a hard problem, 「格闘」; for hardship and toil, 「苦労」; for being hard pressed, the colloquial 「四苦八苦」. 「闘争」 and 「争闘」 are written-style words for conflict, the latter rare. The antonyms are 「怠惰」 (laziness) and 「無為」 (inaction).
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


