The word Gambaru in Japanese it means to do your best and hold on to the bitter end. This means that the gambaru students study hard to pass the exams, the gambaru athletes practice hard to win matches, and the workers at the gambaru company work hard to increase sales. It also means working hard or with patience, insisting on getting your way and taking a place and never leaving, as in the case of working at a job or workplace. Gambaru also has its roots in the following proverb: “The monk who does not work must not eat.”
There is an imperative form of “gambaru, which is Gambare or Gambette. The term imperative connotes high achievement, motivation, and orientation towards group harmony. The term is also used among members to encourage others in group activity.
The Japanese use the term gambare quite frequently and for various reasons. They usually use the term at least once a day to say goodbye and also at the end of a letter. The Japanese also use this expression to encourage each other with the implication of “Please keep working hard until you achieve your goal.”
The term is also used in many situations as a form of expression. The Japanese can use the expression in the initial stages of a project. For instance:
a) After the earthquake in Kobe, Japan, the motto Gambare Kobe It was used to encourage the people of Kobe to rebuild their city and rebuild their lives.
b) The Japanese also use the expression among group members to encourage each other in cooperative activities. For example, during athletic days at school, children can be heard shouting “gambare” or “gambatte” to cheer on their friends in the race.
c) The Japanese also use the expression as spectators to cheer on their team. For example, at the 1998 World Cup soccer match in France, Japanese spectators cheered the slogan Gambare Nippon! During the championship, the motto was used on television shows and commercials every day.
The literal meaning of gambaru is “sticking to something tenaciously”. It is a very popular term used to encourage someone to undertake a very difficult task. Additional meanings are: Hold on, don’t give up, do your best and Give it your all! The term also means to work hard and with patience. Also, encourage the enthusiasm and hard work of others.
Gamburu also has some additional meanings, some of which could be considered negative connotations. Based on the denotation form of the word, it also means “to insist on getting your way” and “to take a place and never leave.” Also, the word is derived from ga-o-haru, which means “to have a will of one’s own.” This expression originally had a negative connotation of asserting oneself against group decisions and norms.
One may wonder if other languages have the equivalent of gambari. According to Amanuma (1987, pp. 51-53), gambari, which is derived from gambaru, has no exact equivalent in non-Japanese languages. In addition, Amanuma states: “Although both Chinese and Korean have the characters that make up gambaru (gambari is derived from gambaru), they do not have expressions that have the same nuances. This suggests that gambaru is an expression unique to Japan. And expresses certain qualities of the Japanese character.
There are several proverbs that can show a difference between Japanese culture and American culture when it comes to the virtues of Gambaru. A proverb based on Japanese culture says: “The monk who does not work must not eat.” This speaks to the fact that you have to work and that you can live by working. The Japanese did not take into account play or free time in this proverb, unlike America in the following proverb.
Alternatively, an American proverb says, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This implies that one does not have to work but to rest and play. It places play and work in the same category and on the same level, which is equivalent to virtue. The account of the game in this proverb gives the Japanese a feeling of unease regarding the virtues of Gambaru in American terms.
© Joseph S. Spence, Sr., 8/16/09
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Submitted by “Epulaeryu Master”.
