一いっ生しょう懸けん命めい

い

っ

しょ

う

け

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め

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Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

adverb, na-adjective, noun

with all one's might; very hard; eagerly

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Used to describe doing something with maximum effort, determination, or desperation. Can function as an adverb, adjectival noun, or noun.

彼かれは一いっ生しょう懸けん命めい勉べん強きょうして、試し験けんに合ごう格かくした。
He studied very hard and passed the exam.
一いっ生しょう懸けん命めい走はしったが、バスに間まに合あわなかった。
I ran as hard as I could, but I missed the bus.
彼かの女じょは一いっ生しょう懸けん命めいな人ひとだから、きっと成せい功こうする。
She is a very hardworking person, so she will surely succeed.

See all 64 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

一いっ生しょう懸けん命めいに〈動どう詞し〉to do something with all one's might
彼かの女じょは試し験けんに向むけて一いっ生しょう懸けん命めいに勉べん強きょうした。
She studied as hard as she could for the exam.
一いっ生しょう懸けん命めいな〈人ひと〉a person who always tries their hardest
彼かれは何なにをやっても一いっ生しょう懸けん命めいな人ひとだ。
He's the kind of person who gives his all at everything he does.
一いっ生しょう懸けん命めいに生いきるto live one's life to the fullest, giving it one's all
祖そ母ぼはいつも一いっ生しょう懸けん命めいに生いきてきた。
My grandmother has always lived her life giving everything she has.

Kanji

一one, one radical (no.1)
生life, genuine, birth
懸state of suspension, hang, depend
命fate, command, decree

Related words· 11

必ひっ死しN3
必死 stresses desperate, do-or-die effort, while 一生懸命 describes earnest, wholehearted effort without necessarily implying crisis.
懸けん命めい
懸命 is a shorter, more formal way of saying 一生懸命, often used in writing or set phrases.
真しん剣けんN3
真剣 highlights a serious, focused attitude toward a task, whereas 一生懸命 emphasizes the sheer amount of effort put in.
熱ねっ心しんN4
熱心 conveys enthusiasm or keen interest in something, while 一生懸命 focuses on exerting maximum effort regardless of enjoyment.

Show 7 more

一いっ心しんにN1
一生懸命 emphasizes exerting maximum effort, while 一心に stresses undivided focus and devotion of one's whole heart.
必ひっ死しになって
一生懸命 emphasizes sustained, wholehearted effort toward a goal, while 必死になって stresses frantic, life-or-death urgency in the moment.
心こころを込こめるN2
一生懸命 stresses working hard and giving full effort, while 心を込める focuses on doing something with sincere feeling and care.
精せい一いっ杯ぱいN2
一生懸命 conveys earnest, almost desperate effort as if one's life depended on it, whereas 精一杯 simply means doing the maximum one is capable of.
心こころを込こめてN3
一生懸命 stresses effort and hard work toward a goal, whereas 心を込めて stresses sincere, heartfelt feeling in doing something.
せっせとN2
一生懸命 stresses giving one's utmost effort toward a goal, whereas せっせと focuses on the repetitive, busy manner of working.
ひたすらN1
一生懸命 highlights effort and hard work put into a task, whereas ひたすら focuses on undivided, repetitive concentration on one thing.

Opposites

いい加か減げんN2
いい加減 describes doing something half-heartedly or carelessly, the opposite of putting in full effort like 一生懸命.

Built from

一いっ生しょう+懸けん命めい

Etymology

A yojijukugo derived from the phrase 一所懸命 (いっしょけんめい), which originally meant 'to risk one's life on a single piece of land' in the context of samurai protecting their territory. Over time, 一所 (one place) changed to 一生 (one's whole life), shifting the meaning to 'with all one's might throughout one's life.'