Japanese · In the Stands
頑張れ
ganbare
gahn-BAH-reh · /ɡambaɾe/
Go for it! / You've got this! / Come on!
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"hold firm / persevere (imperative)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The all-purpose cheer of Japanese culture — "do your best / hang in there." Shouted at athletes, said to a friend before an exam, printed on every encouragement. The bare "ganbare!" is the rousing shout; "ganbatte" is the softer everyday version. Faint double edge: to someone already exhausted it can land as "just try harder," so read the room.
Heard in the wild
あと一周、頑張れ!
One more lap — you've got this!
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "頑張れ" mean?
- In Japanese, "頑張れ" means "Go for it! / You've got this! / Come on!". Literally it's "hold firm / persevere (imperative)". The all-purpose cheer of Japanese culture — "do your best / hang in there." Shouted at athletes, said to a friend before an exam, printed on every encouragement. The bare "ganbare!" is the rousing shout; "ganbatte" is the softer everyday version. Faint double edge: to someone already exhausted it can land as "just try harder," so read the room.
- Is "頑張れ" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "頑張れ"?
- Say it "gahn-BAH-reh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ɡambaɾe.
Related in Japanese
行け ike EE-keh Go! / Come on! / Get in there! かっとばせ kattobase kaht-toh-BAH-seh Knock it out of the park! / crush it! 弱虫 yowamushi yo-wah-MOO-shee Coward / wimp / chicken ドンマイ donmai dohn-MYE No worries / shake it off / tough luck, forget it 下手くそ審判 hetakuso shinpan heh-tah-KOO-so SHEEM-pahn Garbage ref! / the ref's blind! 何やってんだ nani yatten da NAH-nee yaht-ten dah What are you doing?! / what was that?!
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