Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 頑張って！ | ganbatte! | ||
| がんばれ！ | ganbare! | ||
| 健闘を祈る | kentō o inoru | [kẽ̞nto̞ː o̞ ino̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) | |
| 幸運を | kōun o | ||
| 頑張ってください | ganbatte kudasai! | formal |
Japanese speakers use different phrases to express "good luck" depending on the context. If you want to encourage someone to work hard or do their best, you use forms of the verb 頑張る. If you are wishing someone literal good fortune, you use the noun 幸運. You may also use ファイト！, which is derived from the English word "fight" and serves as a way to say "good luck" or "do your best."
Which one should you use?
The forms used for encouragement and literal fortune are distinct. 頑張って！ is used to encourage someone to work hard or do their best, whereas 幸運を is used to wish for literal good fortune. Among the encouragement forms, がんばれ！ is a more forceful, imperative command used to cheer someone on, often seen in sports or high-pressure situations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness varies significantly between these expressions. For encouraging someone, the polite version used when speaking to superiors or in professional settings is 頑張ってください. The casual, friendly version of this is 頑張ってね！ To wish someone luck in a very formal or literary way, such as in a competition or difficult endeavor, you can use 健闘を祈る. For literal good fortune, 幸運を is a common way to express the sentiment.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 頑張って is the te-form of the verb 頑張る, used here as a soft command or request.
How do you pronounce it?
ganbatte!
Did you know?
- Telling someone 頑張ってください can be seen as insensitive or cruel if that person is already exhausted or suffering from burnout.
- Japanese has no single equivalent for 'good luck' because the culture distinguishes between luck based on effort and luck based on fate.
- Using 幸運を (kouun o) is quite rare in daily conversation compared to English, as it can feel overly dramatic or like something from a movie.
Examples in context
- 幸運を祈るよ。Good luck!This sentence shows how to use the form 幸運を to wish someone luck.Tatoeba #173663 by KK_kaku_, translation #429220 by Clavain
- 幸運をお祈りいたします。I wish you good luck.This sentence shows a more polite way to use the form 幸運を.Tatoeba #2432350 by bunbuku, translation #54468 by CK
- 頑張ってね、太郎！Do your best, Tarou!
- 明日の試験、頑張って！Ashita no shiken, ganbatte!Good luck on your exam tomorrow!
Example conversation
Yota is leaving for a job interview.
- 陽太 Yotaそろそろ行くね。Sorosoro iku ne.I'm heading out now.
- 美咲 Misaki面接、頑張って！Mensetsu, ganbatte!Good luck with the interview!
- 陽太 Yotaありがとう！Arigatou!Thanks!
- 美咲 Misakiいってらっしゃい。Itterasshai.See you later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good luck” translations and entries 健闘を祈る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
