willpower; guts; determination
Refers to mental toughness, perseverance, and the drive to overcome difficulties. Often used in contexts of sports, work, or personal challenges.
He has guts, so he won't be defeated by any hardship.
根性を出して最後まで走り抜いた。
I showed determination and ran through to the end.
character; nature; disposition
Describes a person's innate temperament or moral character. Less common than the willpower sense; often appears in fixed expressions like 根性が曲がっている (have a warped character).
あの人は根性が曲がっているから、信用できない。
That person has a warped character, so I can't trust them.
彼の根性の悪さには呆れる。
I'm disgusted by his mean nature.
He has the guts to face difficulties head-on.
That person has a bad character, so be careful.
He showed his grit in the final match and turned it around.
He got through the tough training through sheer willpower.
He built up his mental toughness through mountain climbing.
根性 emphasizes stubborn guts or grit built up over time, while 気合 is a burst of focused spirit summoned in the moment.
根性 stresses grit and endurance through hardship, whereas 闘志 emphasizes an aggressive, competitive drive to win.
根性 refers to raw guts or willpower and can sound rough or even negative, whereas 心意気 always carries a positive, admirable nuance.
根性 emphasizes stubborn endurance and grit, whereas ファイティングスピリット highlights an active, never-give-up attitude toward a challenge.
根性 emphasizes gritty perseverance and toughness of character, while ファイト focuses more on the burst of energy or will to compete.
根性 describes an inner trait of toughness or grit that a person has, while 頑張り refers to the actual effort or act of persevering in a specific situation.
根性 refers to inner grit or willpower and often has a positive, sports-like connotation, while 執念 stresses an unyielding, almost obsessive fixation that can feel negative.
根性 emphasizes persistent willpower or grit to endure hardship, while 勇気 is about facing fear or danger in the moment.
根性 refers to one's grit or inner tenacity (a trait of willpower), while 本性 refers to one's true, often hidden, fundamental character—learners sometimes conflate the two because both use 性 for 'nature'.
Both 凝り性 and 根性 end in 性 and describe a personal trait, but 根性 means guts or willpower, not obsessive absorption in something.
mean-spiritedness; base character; vulgar disposition
mercenary spirit; greed; avarice; base nature