勉強する

• Reading: べんきょうする
• Romaji: benkyou suru
• Kanji breakdown: 勉 (ben) — to endeavour, to strive; 強 (kyou) — strong, powerful
• Pronunciation: /beɴ.kjoː.sɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To study; to work hard at learning. The most common verb for academic study.

A Group 3 (irregular) transitive verb, formed by adding する to the noun 勉強 (study). Conjugates as a する verb: 勉強します, 勉強した, 勉強しない. Emphasises self-directed study effort. Can be used with を for the subject studied (日本語を勉強する) or without (毎日勉強する).

Examples

1. 毎日二時間勉強します。 I study for two hours every day.
2. 図書館で日本語を勉強しました。 I studied Japanese at the library.
3. テストの前にたくさん勉強しなければならない。 I have to study a lot before the test.

Usage Guide

Context: education, daily life, school

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji compound 勉強 combines 勉 (to endeavour, to strive) and 強 (strong, powerful). The original meaning was 'to force oneself' or 'to exert effort,' which evolved into the modern meaning of studying.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal