Japanese symbol for “drudge”
ガリ勉
がりべん
Romaji: gariben
person who studies very hard (at school); grind; swot; drudge
In Japanese, drudge is ガリ勉, read がりべん (gariben).
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
- n person who studies very hard (at school); grind; swot; drudge
- n, vi, vs studying hard; cramming; swotting
Written forms: ガリ勉、がり勉、我利勉. Readings: がりべん、ガリベン.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “drudge”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 点取り虫 | てんとりむし tentorimushi | diligent student; drudge; swot |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勉強 | べんきょう benkyou | study |
| 勤勉 | きんべん kinben | diligent; hard-working; industrious |
| 勉学 | べんがく bengaku | study; pursuit of knowledge |
| 勉励 | べんれい benrei | diligence |
| 勉強中 | べんきょうちゅう benkyouchuu | while studying; presently studying |
See also: Chinese symbol for “drudge”.
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.