SumiWhat ganbatte literally means (頑張って)
Ganbatte (頑張って) is what Japanese people say to someone about to try something hard: an exam, a job interview, a race. It works like “good luck”, “hang in there” or “you can do it”. Read kanji by kanji, it says something tougher: 頑, stubborn, and 張, stretch. Stay stubborn, and stretch yourself.
What the kanji say
頑 (gan) means stubborn or obstinate. You’ll find it in 頑固 (ganko), a stubborn person, and 頑丈 (ganjou), solidly built. Its right half, 頁, began as a drawing of a head, so you can picture a hard head that won’t be moved.
張 (chou, or haru) means to stretch or spread. The 弓 on its left is a bow, and drawing a bow is the original stretch. 張る (haru) means to stretch, to put up a tent, or to tense up, and 引っ張る (hipparu) means to pull.
Put them together and 頑張る (ganbaru) reads like “stretch stubbornly”: keep pulling, don’t let go. 頑張って (ganbatte) is its te-form, the shape Japanese uses for requests, so on its own it means “keep at it”.
Where the word really comes from
Here’s the twist: the kanji were chosen to fit a word that already existed. Nobody is completely sure where ganbaru came from. The two leading theories are 眼張る (ganbaru), “to keep your eyes wide open”, as a lookout does, and 我に張る (ga ni haru), “to insist on your own way”.
Either way, 頑張る is ateji (当て字): kanji picked for their sound and a meaning that fits. The fit is so good that most people now read the kanji as the word’s story, and that’s a perfectly good way to remember it.
How to use it
頑張って！
Ganbatte!
Good luck! You can do it! (to a friend)
試験、頑張ってください。
Shiken, ganbatte kudasai.
Good luck with your exam. (polite)
頑張ります！
Ganbarimasu!
I'll do my best! (the usual reply)
頑張れ！
Ganbare!
Come on! Go for it! (cheering)
頑張りすぎないでね。
Ganbarisuginaide ne.
Don't push yourself too hard.
A few things worth knowing:
- The usual reply is 頑張ります (ganbarimasu), “I’ll do my best”, or 頑張る！ (ganbaru!) with friends. A thank-you works too: ありがとう、頑張る！
- Ganbare (頑張れ) is the cheering form. It’s what crowds shout at a marathon, or at the TV during a big match.
- Careful with your boss. 頑張ってください is polite, but some people feel it sounds like you’re judging a senior’s effort. To a boss or teacher, 応援しています (ouen shite imasu), “I’m rooting for you”, is the safer choice.
- After it’s over, say 頑張ったね (ganbatta ne), “you really gave it everything”, whatever the result.
Words with the same kanji
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 頑固 | ganko | stubborn, obstinate |
| 頑丈 | ganjou | solid, sturdy |
| 張る | haru | to stretch, to put up |
| 引っ張る | hipparu | to pull |
| 出張 | shutchou | business trip |
| 主張 | shuchou | claim, insistence |
Remember it
Picture a stubborn archer (頑) who keeps his bow drawn (張) long after his arms start shaking. That’s ganbaru: hold on, and keep stretching.
The kanji in this lesson
Tap Draw it to watch the stroke order. Numbers show where each stroke starts.