Japanese symbol for “desperately”
一生懸命
いっしょうけんめい
Romaji: isshoukenmei
very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can; with all one's might
In Japanese, desperately is 一生懸命, read いっしょうけんめい (isshoukenmei).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-na, adv, n very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can; with all one's might; for dear life; eagerly
Written forms: 一生懸命、一生けんめい、一生けん命. Readings: いっしょうけんめい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “desperately”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遮二無二 | しゃにむに shanimuni | desperately; recklessly; (rushing) headlong |
| やけに | やけに yakeni | awfully; frightfully; desperately |
| 一所懸命 | いっしょけんめい isshokenmei | very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can |
| 必死になって | ひっしになって hisshininatte | desperately; for one's dear life |
| 死ぬ気で | しぬきで shinukide | all out; like hell; like crazy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一緒 | いっしょ issho | (doing) together |
| 一番 | いちばん ichiban | number one; first; first place |
| 一つ | ひとつ hitotsu | one |
| 一般 | いっぱん ippan | general; universal |
| 一部 | いちぶ ichibu | one part; one portion; one section |
| 一方 | いっぽう ippou | one (esp. of two); the other; one way |
| 生活 | せいかつ seikatsu | life; living |
| 先生 | せんせい sensei | teacher; instructor; master |
| 懸念 | けねん kenen | worry; fear; anxiety |
| 生命 | せいめい seimei | life; existence |
See also: Chinese symbol for “desperately”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.