奮闘

• Reading: ふんとう
• Romaji: funto
• Kanji breakdown: 奮 (fun/furu) — rouse, fight vigorously; 闘 (tou/tataka) — fight, struggle
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.ɴ.to.ː/

Meaning

Hard struggle; strenuous effort; fighting with all one's might. The state of giving one's full effort against difficult circumstances.

A noun used with する to mean 'to struggle hard, to give it one's all.' Unlike 苦労 (suffering/hardship), 奮闘 implies active, spirited effort rather than passive endurance. Common in narratives of overcoming adversity, in sports commentary, and in praising someone's dedicated effort. 孤軍奮闘 (fighting alone against the odds) is a related four-character compound.

Examples

1. 限られた予算の中で、スタッフ全員が奮闘してプロジェクトを成功させた。 Working within a limited budget, the entire staff fought hard and made the project a success.
2. 試合の最後まで奮闘した選手たちに、観客から温かい拍手が送られた。 The players who fought with everything they had until the end of the match received warm applause from the spectators.
3. 一人で多くの課題に奮闘してきた彼女に、ようやくサポートが来た。 After struggling alone with so many challenges, she finally received some support.

Usage Guide

Context: effort, sports, work, adversity, narrative

Tone: positive

Origin & History

From 奮 (fun/furu, rouse/fight vigorously) and 闘 (tou/tataka, fight/struggle). Both characters convey vigorous action and combat. The compound evokes a vivid image of someone throwing themselves into a battle with full energy.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal