Ganbaru (頑張る) is one of the most common verbs in Japanese. It means to try your best, to keep going and to hold on. It is more than a word. It is a deep belief that effort and endurance deserve respect on their own, whatever the result. Understand ganbaru, and you understand a lot about how Japanese people think about work, school and hard times.
To stick it out
Ganbaru means to push through difficulty and not give up. Everyday forms of the verb appear all through daily life. Ganbatte! means "do your best, hang in there!" People say it to a friend before an exam, a race, a hard day or a hospital stay. It is the standard word of encouragement. Ganbarimasu means "I'll do my best," and it is how you accept a task or a challenge. Ganbatta praises effort already made: "you worked hard, you gave it everything." The praise goes to the trying, not only to the winning.
The virtue, and its shadow
Ganbaru has several close relatives among Japanese values. Doryoku (努力) is hard, steady effort. Gaman (我慢) is bearing hardship patiently and without complaint. Konjō (根性) is guts, or fighting spirit. Together they support the famous work ethic of Japanese students and employees. They also show in the way communities face disasters. After an earthquake or a flood, "ganbarō," or "let's keep going together," becomes a rallying cry for a whole region. But this value has a dark side too. The same pressure to endure and never quit feeds overwork. People skip rest when they need it, and some even die from overwork, which Japanese calls karōshi. Ganbaru is a real strength. Knowing when not to push on is the harder lesson.
Words & idioms to take away
Idioms & proverbs to carry away
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頑張って / 頑張ります (ganbatte / ganbarimasu): "do your best / I'll do my best." You hear these phrases of encouragement and resolve many times a day.
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我慢 (gaman): "endurance, patience," bearing something hard or unpleasant with dignity and without complaint. It is a close companion of ganbaru.