頑張る|がんばるganbaru[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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- godan verb, intransitive verbto persevere; to persist; to keep at it; to hang on; to hold out; to do one's bestいや、頑張ればできるよ。↗Yes, he can, if he tries hard.
- godan verb, intransitive verbto insist that; to stick to (one's opinion)
- godan verb, intransitive verbto remain in a place; to stick to one's post; to refuse to budge
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 頑張る(がんばる) |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 頑張ります(がんばります) |
| Negative (nai) | 頑張らない(がんばらない) |
| polite (masen) | 頑張りません(がんばりません) |
| classical zu / nu | 頑張らず・頑張らぬ(がんばらず・がんばらぬ) |
| Past (ta) | 頑張った(がんばった) |
| polite (mashita) | 頑張りました(がんばりました) |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 頑張らなかった(がんばらなかった) |
| polite (masen deshita) | 頑張りませんでした(がんばりませんでした) |
| Te form | 頑張って(がんばって) |
| Potential | 頑張れる(がんばれる) |
| Passive | 頑張られる(がんばられる) |
| Causative | 頑張らせる(がんばらせる) |
| Causative passive | 頑張らせられる・頑張らされる(がんばらせられる・がんばらされる) |
| Conditional (ba) | 頑張れば(がんばれば) |
| tara | 頑張ったら(がんばったら) |
| Volitional | 頑張ろう(がんばろう) |
| polite (mashou) | 頑張りましょう(がんばりましょう) |
| Imperative | 頑張れ(がんばれ) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Related乗り越えるのりこえるNeutralOvercomes a difficulty or gets past an obstacle, as in 「壁を乗り越える」; it views things from after the obstacle is cleared, while 「頑張る」 stresses the ongoing effort.
- Related乗り切るのりきるNeutralMeans weathering a crisis or tough patch, as in 「不況を乗り切る」; the focus is holding out to the end, and it does not cover effort or hard work in general.
- Related我慢がまんNeutralMeans enduring pain or holding back a desire, as in 「痛みを我慢する」; the emphasis is on bearing it, not on active effort like 「頑張る」.
- Related生き抜くいきぬくNeutralMeans surviving, keeping alive through harsh conditions, as in 「戦後を生き抜く」; 「頑張る」 is not limited to staying alive.
Default to 「頑張る」 for trying hard and persevering to the end. Use 「乗り越える」 for overcoming a difficulty, 「乗り切る」 for weathering a crisis, and 「我慢」 for enduring pain or restraining yourself.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


