Ganbaru is the Japanese verb for ‘to work hard’, explained

What does “ganbaru” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “ganbaru” to mean ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, or such in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this verb as it is often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it together with its major conjugations. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to use “ganbaru” more properly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “ganbaru”
  • Example #1: how to say “work hard” in Japanese
• Ganbaranai: the nai form of “ganbaru”
  • Example #2: how to say “don’t work hard” in Japanese
• Ganbarou: the volitional form of “ganbaru”
  • Example #3: how to say “let’s do our best” in Japanese
• Ganbarimasu: the masu form of “ganbaru”
  • Example #4: how to say “work hard” politely in Japanese
• Ganbatta: the ta form of “ganbaru”
  • Example #5: how to say “did our best” in Japanese
• Ganbatte: the te form of “ganbaru”
  • Example #6: how to say “good luck” in Japanese
• Ganbareba: the ba form of “ganbaru”
  • Example #7: how to say “if work hard” in Japanese
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “ganbaru”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “ganbaru”.

• ganbaru – 頑張る (がんばる) : a verb meaning ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such in Japanese.

Native speakers use this verb when they do what they can do with their maximum effort. So, this is often translated into English as ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, or such.

The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. Then, let me explain how to use this verb through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “work hard” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
• mainichi – 毎日 (まいにち) : an adverb meaning ‘every day’ in Japanese.
• eigo – 英語 (えいご) : a noun meaning ‘English’ or ‘the English language’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “eigo” to make the object in the sentence.

This is a typical usage of “ganbaru”. In the example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to have the object. Anyway, when we want to mean ‘to work hard’ in Japanese, this verb is a good option.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “ganbaru” and how to use it through the example sentence. In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain its major conjugations. The first one is “ganbaranai”.

Ganbaranai: the nai form of “ganbaru”

Below are the definition and meanings of “ganbaranai”.

• ganbaranai – 頑張らない (がんばらない) : the nai form of “ganbaru”, which means ‘not to work hard’, ‘not to do one’s best’, ‘not to hang on’, or such in Japanese.

Grammatically, “ganbaranai” consists of the following two parts:

• ganbara – 頑張ら (がんばら) : one conjugation of “ganbaru”. This can have a smooth connection with “nai”.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is very similar to that of “not”.

From these two parts, we can understand that “ganbaranai” is literally the nai form of “ganbaru” and means ‘not to work hard’, ‘not to do one’s best’, ‘not to hang on’, or such in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this nai form through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to say “don’t work hard” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• karera – 彼等 (かれら) : a pronoun meaning ‘they’ in Japanese.
• benkyou – 勉強 (べんきょう) : a noun meaning ‘study’ or such in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

This is a typical usage of “ganbaranai”. When we want to mean ‘not to work hard’ in Japanese, this nai form is a good option.

Ganbarou: the volitional form of “ganbaru”

Below are the definition and meanings of “ganbarou”.

• ganbarou – 頑張ろう (がんばろう) : the volitional form of “ganbaru”, which expresses volition to work hard, do one’s best, hang on, or such.

Grammatically, “ganbarou” consists of the following two parts:

• ganbaro – 頑張ろ (がんばろ) : one conjugation of “ganbaru”. This can have a smooth connection with “u”.
• u – う : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its volitional form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “ganbarou” is literally the volitional form of “ganbaru” and expresses volition to work hard, do one’s best, hang on, or such. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to say “let’s do our best” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• issho – 一緒 (いっしょ) : a noun meaning ‘same’, ‘being together’, or such in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say how someone does something. In the example, this is used after “issho” to say “together” in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “ganbarou”. In this example, it works to make the suggestion. When we want to say “let’s do our best” in Japanese, this volitional form is a good option.

Ganbarimasu: the masu form of “ganbaru”

Below are the definition and meanings of “ganbarimasu”.

• ganbarimasu – 頑張ります (がんばります) : the masu form of “ganbaru”, which means ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such politely in Japanese.

Grammatically, “ganbarimasu” consists of the following two parts:

• ganbari – 頑張り (がんばり) : one conjugation of “ganbaru”. This can have a smooth connection with “masu”.
• masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “ganbarimasu” is literally the masu form of “ganbaru” and means ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such politely in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to say “work hard” politely in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• tokidoki – 時々 (ときどき) : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘sometimes’ in Japanese.
• nihongo – 日本語 (にほんご) : a noun meaning ‘Japanese’ or ‘the Japanese language’ in Japanese.
• mo – も : a binding particle making the subject word or the object word in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘also’, ‘as well’, or ‘too’. In the example, this works after “nihongo” to make the object in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘also’.

This is a typical usage of “ganbarimasu”. Its politeness has not been reflected in the English sentence, but the Japanese sentence sounds polite thanks to the masu form. When we want to say “work hard” politely in Japanese, this form is a good option.

Ganbatta: the ta form of “ganbaru”

Below are the definition and meanings of “ganbaru”.

• ganbatta – 頑張った (がんばった) : the ta form of “ganbaru”, which means ‘worked hard’, ‘did one’s best’, ‘hung on’, or such in Japanese.

Grammatically, “ganbatta” consists of the following two parts:

• ganbat – 頑張っ (がんばっ) : one conjugation of “ganbaru”. This can have a smooth connection with “ta”.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “ganbatta” is literally the ta form of “ganbaru” and means ‘worked hard’, ‘did one’s best’, ‘hung on’, or such in Japanese. Let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.

Example #5: how to say “did our best” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “ganbatta”. When we want to use the past tense form of “ganbaru”, this ta form is the best option.

Ganbatte: the te form of “ganbaru”

Below are the definition and meanings of “ganbatte”.

• ganbatte – 頑張って (がんばって) : the te form of “ganbaru”, which means ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such in Japanese.

Grammatically, “ganbatte” consists of the following two parts:

• ganbat – 頑張っ (がんばっ) : one conjugation of “ganbaru”. This can have a smooth connection with “te”.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “ganbatte” is literally the te form of “ganbaru”. In Japanese, te-formed words have some important roles. One of them is make smooth connections of words. So, “ganbatte” is very useful when we want to use “ganbaru” in front of another verb, an adjective, or an auxiliary verb. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #6: how to say “good luck” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• ashita – 明日 (あした) : a noun meaning ‘tomorrow’ in Japanese. In the example, this works together with “wa” to make the adverb phrase in the sentence.
• kudasai – ください : one conjugation of the verb, “kudasaru”, which means ‘to give’ or such in Japanese. When this follows a verb, however, this can work like an auxiliary verb to add the meaning of ‘please’. In the example, this works like an auxiliary verb after “ganbatte” to add the meaning of ‘please’.

This is a typical usage of “ganbatte”. In this example, it has the smooth connection with “kudasai”. When we want to use “ganbaru” in front of another verb like this, its te form is a good option.

“Ganbatte kudasai” literally means ‘please work hard’ in Japanese, but is often translated into English as “good luck”. It’s worth knowing, I think.

Ganbareba: the ba form of “ganbaru”

Lastly, let me explain the definition and meanings of “ganbareba”.

• ganbareba – 頑張れば (がんばれば) : the ba form of “ganbaru”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such in Japanese.

Grammatically, “ganbareba” consists of the following two parts:

• ganbare – 頑張れ (がんばれ) : one conjugation of “ganbaru”. This can have a smooth connection with “ba”.
• ba – ば : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its ba form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “ganbareba” is literally the ba form of “ganbaru”. In Japanese, the ba forms of words can work as their conditional forms. So, we can use “ganbareba” to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to work hard’ or such. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #7: how to say “if work hard” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• ima – 今 (いま) : an adverb meaning ‘now’ in Japanese.
• shourai – 将来 (しょうらい) : a noun meaning ‘future’ in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “shourai” to make the subject in the second clause.
• kagayakashii – 輝かしい (かがやかしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘bright’ or such in Japanese.
• mono – もの : a noun meaning ‘thing’, ‘stuff’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works together with “kagayakashii” to mean ‘something bright’ in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say what someone or something becomes after a change or action. In the example, this is used after “kagayakashii mono” to say what “shourai” will be after the action.
• naru – なる : a verb meaning ‘to become’, ‘to turn’, ‘to get’, or just ‘to be’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “ganbareba”. In this example, it works as a part of the conditional clause, “ima ganbareba”, which means ‘if you work hard now’ in Japanese. When we want to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to work hard’, this ba form is a good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “ganbaru” together with its major conjugations. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• ganbaru – 頑張る (がんばる) : a verb meaning ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such in Japanese.
• ganbaranai – 頑張らない (がんばらない) : the nai form of “ganbaru”, which means ‘not to work hard’, ‘not to do one’s best’, ‘not to hang on’, or such in Japanese.
• ganbarou – 頑張ろう (がんばろう) : the volitional form of “ganbaru”, which expresses volition to work hard, do one’s best, hang on, or such.
• ganbarimasu – 頑張ります (がんばります) : the masu form of “ganbaru”, which means ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such politely in Japanese.
• ganbatta – 頑張った (がんばった) : the ta form of “ganbaru”, which means ‘worked hard’, ‘did one’s best’, ‘hung on’, or such in Japanese.
• ganbatte – 頑張って (がんばって) : the te form of “ganbaru”, which means ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such in Japanese. When we want to use “ganbaru” in front of another verb, this te form is a good option.
• ganbareba – 頑張れば (がんばれば) : the ba form of “ganbaru”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘to work hard’, ‘to do one’s best’, ‘to hang on’, or such in Japanese.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.