Japanese, explained
What does 「頑張って」(ganbatte) mean?
頑張ってganbatte
“Do your best,” “good luck,” “hang in there.” 頑張って is what you say to cheer someone on — before a test, a game, or anything hard. It comes from the verb 頑張る (ganbaru), “to try hard / persevere.”
Forms you’ll hear
頑張って cheers someone else on. To say you’ll do your best, use 頑張ります (ganbarimasu). To rally together, 頑張ろう (ganbarō, “let’s do our best”). And the blunt, shouted version is 頑張れ (ganbare, “go for it!”).
Examples
- 明日試験でしょ？頑張って！
- Ashita shiken desho? Ganbatte! — You’ve got an exam tomorrow, right? Good luck!
- お互い頑張ろう。
- Otagai ganbarō. — Let’s both do our best.
How people really say it
- ファイト！
- faito! — “You got this!” — from English “fight,” a super common cheer.
- 頑張れー！
- ganbarē! — A drawn-out “go go go!” yelled at games and events.
Synonyms & related
- ファイト — “you can do it!” (loanword)
- 応援してる — I’m rooting for you
- 頑張る — to try hard (the base verb)
Hear 頑張って cheer people on in real Japanese
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