Japanese symbol for “exertion”
努力
どりょく
Romaji: doryoku
effort; exertion; endeavour; endeavor
In Japanese, exertion is 努力, read どりょく (doryoku).
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, vi, vs effort; exertion; endeavour; endeavor; hard work; striving
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “exertion”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勤労 | きんろう kinrou | labor; labour; exertion |
| 尽力 | じんりょく jinryoku | efforts; exertion; endeavour |
| 力行 | りっこう rikkou | strenuous efforts; exertion |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 努める | つとめる tsutomeru | to endeavor (to do); to endeavour; to try hard |
| 努めて | つとめて tsutomete | as much as possible; as far as possible; to the best of one's ability |
| 努力家 | どりょくか doryokuka | hard worker; hardworking person |
| 努力賞 | どりょくしょう doryokushou | prize awarded for good effort; consolation prize |
| 奮励努力 | ふんれいどりょく funreidoryoku | making strenuous efforts; exerting oneself |
| 協力 | きょうりょく kyouryoku | cooperation; collaboration; help |
| 能力 | のうりょく nouryoku | ability; faculty |
| 魅力 | みりょく miryoku | charm; fascination; glamour |
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.
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