勤勉
kinben[kʲĩmbẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese phrase for hard working is 勤勉, also known as kinben.
勤勉 is used to describe a person who puts a lot of effort and care into their work or studies.
Which one should you use?
While 勤勉 focuses specifically on the effort put into tasks or studies, the term 真面目 is a broader term used to describe someone who is serious, reliable and follows rules.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 勤勉 as an adjective to modify a noun, you must add na to form 勤勉な.
How do you pronounce it?
kinben
Did you know?
- In a school setting, a student described as 勤勉 is praised not just for their intelligence, but for the sheer volume of time they spend studying.
- Japanese has a specific term 勤勉精神 which refers to the 'spirit of diligence', often treated as a collective cultural virtue rather than just an individual trait.
- The kanji 勤 in 勤勉 shares its root with the word for 'duty' and 'service', reflecting a historical link between hard work and social obligation.
Examples in context
- 彼はとても勤勉な学生です。He is a very hard-working student.
- 勤勉な姿勢は大切です。Kinben na shisei wa taisetsu desu.A hard working attitude is important.
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are talking about a classmate.
- 結衣 Yui陽太さんは本当に勤勉ですね。Yota-san wa hontou ni kinben desu ne.Yota, you are really hard working.
- 陽太 Yotaありがとうございます、結衣さん。Arigatou gozaimasu, Yui-san.Thank you, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiいつも遅くまで勉強していますね。Itsumo osoku made benkyou shite imasu ne.You are always studying until late.
- 陽太 Yota試験があるので頑張っています。Shiken ga aru node ganbatte imasu.I'm doing my best because there's an exam.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 勤勉, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
