taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
Describes a manner of speaking or explaining that is heartfelt, thorough, and patient. Often used with verbs like 諭す, 説く, or 語る. The word is a たる adjective/adverb taking と, so it typically appears as 懇々と.
The teacher earnestly admonished the student.
He spoke sincerely about his mistakes.
Standard kanji spelling using the repetition mark 々.
Full kanji spelling without the repetition mark; less common but still encountered.
Alternate kanji form using 悃; rare and literary.
Full kanji form of the alternate spelling; very rare.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 懇 means 'earnest' or 'kind', and the reduplicated form 懇々 intensifies that meaning. The alternate kanji 悃 also means 'sincere' or 'earnest'.