勤勉
kinben[kʲĩmbẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese word for hardworking is 勤勉 (kinben).
勤勉 refers to someone who takes their work seriously and performs it well and rapidly, much like the English words industrious, diligent or assiduous. A common way to describe an industrious person is to use the phrase 勤勉な人.
Meaning: taking their work seriously and doing it well and rapidly (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 勤勉 focuses on the quality of being industrious and diligent in a systematic or scholarly way, the word 真面目 focuses more on a person's serious and reliable character.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
勤勉 is a formal and academic term. In daily conversation, the word 真面目 is much more common to describe someone who is serious and hardworking.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to use the word as an adjective to modify a noun, you should use the noun-modifying form 勤勉な.
How do you pronounce it?
kinben
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific term, 社畜, which literally means 'company livestock', to describe a version of being 'hardworking' that has become pathological or exploitative.
- In Japanese culture, being 'too' 真面目 can sometimes be a polite way of saying someone is stiff or lacks a sense of humor. It can imply a person is overly literal or fails to read the room.
- The character 勉 in 勤勉 is used in the word 勉強, which means 'study', but its original meaning was 'to exert oneself' or 'force oneself'.
Examples in context
- トムって勤勉だと思う。I think Tom is hardworking.This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion about someone being hardworking using 勤勉.Tatoeba #3591798 by arnab, translation #3184185 by CK
- 彼女は勤勉な学生です。She is a hardworking student.
- 会社では勤勉な社員が必要です。We need hardworking employees at the company.
- 彼はとても勤勉な学生です。Kare wa totemo kinben na gakusei desu.He is a very hardworking student.
- 勤勉な姿勢は大切です。Kinben na shisei wa taisetsu desu.A hardworking attitude is important.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a coworker.
- 結衣 Yui佐藤さんは本当に勤勉な人ですね。Sato-san wa hontō ni kinben na hito desu ne.Ms. Sato is a really hardworking person, isn't she?
- 健太 Kentaはい、いつも仕事が早いです。Hai, itsumo shigoto ga hayai desu.Yes, she always finishes her work quickly.
- 結衣 Yui私も彼女みたいになりたいです。Watashi mo kanojo mitai ni naritai desu.I want to be like her too.
- 健太 Kenta一緒に頑張りましょう。Issho ni ganbarimashō.Let's do our best together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hardworking” translations and entries 勤勉, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
