一生懸命

一生懸命

Japanese

Kanji in this term
一	生	懸	命
いつ > いっ Grade: 1	しょう Grade: 1	けん Grade: S	めい Grade: 3
on’yomi

Etymology

Yoji jukugo (四字熟語). From 一所懸命(いっしょけんめい) (isshokenmei), which referred to samurais risking their life to defend the territory inherited from ancestors.

Pronunciation

• On’yomi
• (Tokyo) いっしょーけ​んめー [ìsshóókéꜜǹmèè] (Nakadaka – [5])[1]
• IPA^(key): [iɕːo̞ːkẽ̞mːe̞ː]

Adverb

一(いっ)生(しょう)懸(けん)命(めい) • (isshōkenmei) ^{←いつしやうけんめい (itusyaukenmei)?}

1. for dear life; as hard as one can; to the best of one's ability

   一(いっ)生(しょう)懸(けん)命(めい)頑(がん)張(ば)る

   isshōkenmei ganbaru

   to try one's utmost hardest

References

1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN