Giving it everything
Idioms, Stage 1chunk 3 of 21Effort, ease & difficulty
Four ways to say you are putting everything into something, from the everyday isshou kenmei to the dramatic shinu ki de.
- isshou kenmeias hard as one can, with all one's mightliterally “a whole life, staking one's life”
- nani ga nandemono matter what, at all costsliterally “whatever is whatever”
- kiai o ireruget fired up; put real effort intoliterally “put in fighting spirit”
- shinu ki deall-out, as if your life depended on itliterally “with the resolve to die”
Mix-ups isshou kenmei is ordinary effort and shinu ki de is life-or-death; kiai o ireru means psyching yourself up, and nani ga nandemo means 'whatever it takes'.
isshou kenmei
“a whole life, staking one's life”
as hard as one can, with all one's might
In English: give it your all
The everyday way to say someone tried their hardest, mostly as an adverb before a verb: isshou kenmei ganbatta, isshou kenmei hataraite iru. It also works before nouns (isshou kenmei na hito) and describes the manner of effort, where ganbaru is the effort itself.
Older spelling 一所懸命 (issho kenmei, literally staking one's life on one plot of land) means the same.
isshou kenmei ganbatta n da kedo na
I really did try my hardest, though.
一生懸命頑張ったんだけどな
isshou kenmei ganbatta n desu kedo ne
I really did try my hardest, though.
一生懸命頑張ったんですけどね
Written 一生懸命 · いっしょうけんめいHeard 199× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside nani ga nandemo, kiai o ireru, shinu ki deMain list ganbaru (Stage 4)
nani ga nandemo
“whatever is whatever”
no matter what, at all costs
In English: come hell or high water
Shows firm resolve to get something done, usually before a deadline or goal: nani ga nandemo maniawaseru, nani ga nandemo katsu. Stronger than zettai, and always about someone's will.
Plain alternative: zettai (definitely).
nani ga nandemo kyoujuu ni owaraseru
I'm finishing it today, no matter what.
何が何でも今日中に終わらせる
nani ga nandemo kyoujuu ni owarasemasu
I'll finish it today, no matter what.
何が何でも今日中に終わらせます
Written 何が何でも · なにがなんでもHeard 55× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside isshou kenmei, kiai o ireru, shinu ki deMain list nani (Stage 1), nandemo (Stage 4)
kiai o ireru
polite kiai o iremasu
“put in fighting spirit”
get fired up; put real effort into
In English: psych yourself up
Rallying yourself or a team before a game, exam or big day: yoshi, kiai irete ikou! Also kiai irete + verb for doing something with real effort (kiai irete tsukutta), and aimed at someone else it can mean shaking them into shape (kiai o irete yaru).
Not trying hard enough: kiai ga tarinai.
yoshi, kiai irete ikou
Right, let's get fired up and go!
よし、気合入れていこう
yoshi, kiai o irete ikimashou
Right, let's get fired up and go!
よし、気合を入れていきましょう
Written 気合を入れる · きあいをいれるHeard 40× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside isshou kenmei, nani ga nandemo, shinu ki deMain list ireru (Stage 4), ganbaru (Stage 4)
shinu ki de
“with the resolve to die”
all-out, as if your life depended on it
In English: like your life depends on it
Pep-talk exaggeration before a verb of effort: shinu ki de ganbaru, shinu ki de benkyou shiro. Sounds intense, so friends often use it half-jokingly about exams and deadlines.
Softer: isshou kenmei.
kondo no shiken, shinu ki de ganbaru
I'm going all-out for the next exam.
今度の試験、死ぬ気で頑張る
kondo no shiken, shinu ki de ganbarimasu
I'm going all-out for the next exam.
今度の試験、死ぬ気で頑張ります
Written 死ぬ気で · しぬきでHeard 21× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside isshou kenmei, nani ga nandemo, kiai o ireruMain list ganbaru (Stage 4)