頑がん張ばる

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

persevere; keep at it; do one's best; hold out

The most common use: continuing with effort despite difficulty, or giving encouragement with forms such as 頑張って. It is grammatically intransitive, though it often appears with an activity in casual Japanese.

• つらいけど、最さい後ごまで頑がん張ばります。

  It's tough, but I'll do my best until the end.

• 明日あしたの試し験けん、頑がん張ばってね。

  Good luck on tomorrow's exam.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

insist; stick to one's opinion

Used when someone stubbornly maintains a claim or position, often with a quoted statement plus と. This is less basic for learners than the encouragement sense.

• 彼かれは「そんな約やく束そくはしていない」と最さい後ごまで頑がん張ばった。

  He insisted to the end, 'I never made such a promise.'

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

remain in place; stick to one's post; refuse to budge

A limited, older-sounding or literary use for physically staying put or holding a position. In ordinary modern speech, words such as 踏ん張る or 動かない may be more natural depending on the situation.

• 古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、「兵へいが砦とりでに頑がん張ばる」のように、持もち場ばにとどまる意い味みで使つかわれることがある。

  In older writing, 頑張る may be used as in 'soldiers remain at the fort,' meaning to stay at one's post.