根こん性じょう

こ

ん

じょ

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

Refers to mental toughness, perseverance, and the drive to overcome difficulties. Often used in contexts of sports, work, or personal challenges.

彼かれは根こん性じょうがあるから、どんな困こん難なんにも負まけない。
He has guts, so he won't be defeated by any hardship.
根こん性じょうを出だして最さい後ごまで走はしり抜ぬいた。
I showed determination and ran through to the end.

noun

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).

あの人ひとは根こん性じょうが曲まがっているから、信しん用ようできない。
That person has a warped character, so I can't trust them.
彼かれの根こん性じょうの悪わるさには呆あきれる。
I'm disgusted by his mean nature.

See all 76 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

根こん性じょうがあるto have guts/willpower
彼かれは困こん難なんに立たち向むかう根こん性じょうがある。
He has the guts to face difficulties head-on.
根こん性じょうが悪わるいto have a bad character
あの人ひとは根こん性じょうが悪わるいから気きをつけて。
That person has a bad character, so be careful.
根こん性じょうを出だすto show one's grit/determination
最さい後ごの試し合あいで根こん性じょうを出だして逆ぎゃく転てんした。
He showed his grit in the final match and turned it around.
〈事こと〉を根こん性じょうで乗のり切きるto get through something through sheer willpower
厳きびしい練れん習しゅうを根こん性じょうで乗のり切きった。
He got through the tough training through sheer willpower.
根こん性じょうを鍛きたえるto build up one's mental toughness
山やま登のぼりで根こん性じょうを鍛きたえた。
He built up his mental toughness through mountain climbing.

Expressions

根こん性じょうが曲まがるhave a twisted personality; be perverse

Kanji

根root, radical, head (pimple)
性sex, gender, nature

Related words· 15

気き力りょくN1sense 1
気力 is the mental energy or will needed to act, while 根性 stresses gritty perseverance through hardship.
意い地じN1sense 1
意地 often implies stubborn pride or obstinacy, whereas 根性 is broader and covers sheer determination or guts.
度ど胸きょう sense 1
度胸 highlights fearlessness in the face of danger, while 根性 emphasizes enduring effort and toughness over time.
気き概がい
根性 often describes stubborn or gritty willpower that can be positive or negative, while 気概 is a nobler, more admirable fighting spirit.

Show 11 more

ガッツ
根性 is a native Japanese word for inner willpower or grit often tied to discipline and endurance, while ガッツ is a casual, modern loanword with a punchy, energetic feel.
不ふ屈くつ
根性 emphasizes raw guts or stubborn willpower, often in a rough sense, while 不屈 describes a noble, unbreakable spirit that refuses to yield.
意気地いくじN1
根性 stresses raw guts, willpower, or stubborn fighting spirit, while 意気地 focuses on the self-respect and pride that keep one from backing down.
気き合あいN1
根性 emphasizes stubborn guts or grit built up over time, while 気合 is a burst of focused spirit summoned in the moment.
闘とう志し
根性 stresses grit and endurance through hardship, whereas 闘志 emphasizes an aggressive, competitive drive to win.
心こころ意い気き
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.
ファイティングスピリット
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.
ファイトN1
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.
頑がん張ばり
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.
執しゅう念ねんN1
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.
勇ゆう気きN3
根性 emphasizes persistent willpower or grit to endure hardship, while 勇気 is about facing fear or danger in the moment.

Don't confuse with

性しょう根ね sense 2
性根 (reversed kanji order) means one's core nature or backbone, while 根性 more often refers to grit or, less commonly, temperament.
気き性しょうN1sense 2
気性 refers to one's innate temperament or disposition, while 根性 in this sense adds a moral or willpower dimension.
本ほん性しょう
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'.
凝こり性しょう
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.

Word family· 25

ど根こん性じょう
tremendous guts; sheer grit; indomitable spirit
根こん性じょう悪わる
ill-natured; twisted; mean-spirited · ill-natured person; twisted person
根こん性じょう論ろん
belief that where there's a will, there's a way; spirit-over-skill mindset
下種根性げすこんじょう
mean-spiritedness; base character; vulgar disposition
乞こ食じき根こん性じょう
mercenary spirit; greed; avarice; base nature

Show 6 more

事じ大だい根こん性じょう
slavish submission to power; sycophancy; toadyism
俗ぞく物ぶつ根こん性じょう
snobbery; philistinism; vulgar ostentation
党とう派は根こん性じょう
partisan spirit; factionalism
商しょう人にん根こん性じょう
mercantile spirit; commercialism; profit-driven mindset
奴ど隷れい根こん性じょう
servile character; slave mentality
島しま国ぐに根こん性じょう
insular mentality; island nation mindset

See all 25 in Explore →

Written forms

根こん性じょうUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news and common usage.
コンジョウUsage1%

Etymology

Compound of 根 (root, foundation) and 性 (nature, character). The combination originally meant 'fundamental nature,' later developing the sense of 'willpower' from the idea of deep-rooted character.