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Kotomora

勉

exertion, endeavour, encourage, strive, make effort, diligent

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes10

Readings

On'yomi

  • ベン

Kun'yomi

  • つと.める

Nanori

  • ひこ
  • やつ

Meaning

勉 centers on sustained effort and pushing oneself: exertion, striving, and diligent endeavor. The sense of encouragement is a natural extension—urging someone to make that effort.

Most common words using 勉

20 of 37
  • 勉強べんきょう
    N5

    study

  • 勤勉きんべん
    N1

    diligent; hard-working; industrious

  • 勉学べんがく
    N1

    study; pursuit of knowledge

  • 勉強中べんきょうちゅう
    N4

    while studying; presently studying

  • くそ勉強くそべんきょう

    studying like crazy; cramming like a madman

  • にわか勉強にわかべんきょう

    cramming

  • のこ勉のこべん

    staying behind after school to do private study

  • ガリ勉がりべん

    person who studies very hard (at school); grind; swot; drudge

  • テスト勉強テストべんきょう

    studying for a test

  • テス勉テスべん

    studying for a test

  • ノー勉ノーべん

    not studying (for a test, etc.); not having studied

  • 不勉強ふべんきょう

    idleness; lack of application; lazy study habits

  • 二課勉強にかべんきょう

    studying two lessons

  • 刻苦勉励こっくべんれい

    being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships

  • 勉励べんれい

    diligence

  • 勉強になるべんきょうになる

    to gain knowledge; to be illuminated

  • 勉強に励むべんきょうにはげむ

    to work hard at one's lessons

  • 勉強不足べんきょうぶそく

    insufficient study

  • 勉強代べんきょうだい

    cost of a lesson learned (e.g. from failing at something); price of a life lesson

  • 勉強会べんきょうかい

    study group; study meeting

Explore all words using 勉 →

Study

Etymology

勉 combines 免 (which here likely contributes the sound) with 力 (strength/effort), suggesting exerting strength or making an effort. The exact historical role of 免 is uncertain, but the phono-semantic structure is broadly accepted.

Meaning mnemonic

The top 免 looks like a person straining or escaping, and 力 underneath is strength. Picture someone using all their strength to push through a difficult task—that's exertion and diligence.

Reading mnemonic

For ベン, imagine a diligent student named Ben who always strives to do his best: Ben -> ベン, and his effort is like the 力 inside 勉.