Exert Effort, Study

Interesting Fact

Every exam season, Japanese students encourage one another by saying 「勉強がんばって！」 ("Do your best studying!"). But here's the interesting part: 勉 originally meant to force yourself to do something difficult, not simply "to study." Later, it was paired with 強 ("strong") to create 勉強, meaning to push yourself with determination. Today, whenever Japanese people say they're studying (勉強する), they're using a word that originally meant persevering through a challenge.