勉強

See also: 勉强

Chinese

		exhort	strength; force; power strength; force; power; powerful; better
trad. (勉強/勉强)		勉	強/强
simp. (勉强)		勉	强

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): miǎnqiǎng, miǎnqiáng

(Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄢˇ ㄑㄧㄤˇ, ㄇㄧㄢˇ ㄑㄧㄤˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): min⁵ koeng⁵
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): miên-khiòng / miên-khióng
Eastern Min (BUC): miēng-*giōng
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): bián-kióng / bián-kiáng

(Teochew, Peng'im): miêng² giang² / miang² giang²
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶mi-chian

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: miǎnqiǎng [Phonetic: miánqiǎng]
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄢˇ ㄑㄧㄤˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: miǎnciǎng
  - Wade–Giles: mien³-chʻiang³
  - Yale: myǎn-chyǎng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: meancheang
  - Palladius: мяньцян (mjanʹcjan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
- (Standard Chinese, variant in Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: miǎnqiáng
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄢˇ ㄑㄧㄤˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: miǎnciáng
  - Wade–Giles: mien³-chʻiang²
  - Yale: myǎn-chyáng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: meanchyang
  - Palladius: мяньцян (mjanʹcjan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: min⁵ koeng⁵
  - Yale: míhn kéuhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: min⁵ koeng⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: min⁵ kêng⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /miːn¹³ kʰœːŋ¹³/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: miên-khiòng
  - Hakka Romanization System: mien^ˊ kiong^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: mian¹ kiong²
  - Sinological IPA: /mi̯en²⁴ kʰi̯oŋ¹¹/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: miên-khióng
  - Hakka Romanization System: mien^ˊ kiong^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: mian¹ kiong³
  - Sinological IPA: /mi̯en²⁴ kʰi̯oŋ³¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: miēng-*giōng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mieŋ³³⁻³⁵ kyoŋ³³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Jinjiang, Philippines, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bián-kióng
  - Tâi-lô: bián-kióng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: biefnkiorng
  - Sinological IPA (Singapore): /biɛn⁴²⁻²⁴ kiɔŋ⁴²/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /biɛn⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ kiɔŋ⁵⁵⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /biɛn⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kiɔŋ⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɛn⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ kiɔŋ⁴¹/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bián-kiáng
  - Tâi-lô: bián-kiáng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: biefnkiarng
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɛn⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kiaŋ⁵³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: miêng² giang² / miang² giang²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: miéng kiáng / miáng kiáng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mieŋ⁵²⁻³⁵ kiaŋ⁵²/, /miaŋ⁵²⁻³⁵ kiaŋ⁵²⁻²¹/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶mi-chian
  - MiniDict: mi^去 chian
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³mi-qian
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /mi²² t͡ɕʰiã⁴⁴/

Adjective

勉強

forced; inadequate; grudging; reluctant
passable; barely acceptable

Synonyms

(passable):

edit

一般 (yībān)
不大離 / 不大离 (bùdàlí) (regional)
巴巴結結 / 巴巴结结 (bāba-jiējiē) (regional)
平常 (píngcháng) (euphemistic)
湊合 / 凑合 (colloquial)
說得過去 / 说得过去 (shuōdeguòqù)
過得去 / 过得去 (guòdeqù)
還可以 / 还可以 (háikěyǐ)
還好 / 还好 (háihǎo)
馬馬虎虎 / 马马虎虎 (mǎmǎhūhū)

Adverb

勉強

reluctantly; in a forced manner; grudgingly

Verb

勉強

to force somebody to do something
to make do; to do with difficulty

Synonyms

(to make do):

edit

好賴 / 好赖 (hǎolài)
委曲 (wěiqū)
將就 / 将就 (jiāngjiù)
湊合 / 凑合 (colloquial)
糊弄 (hùnong) (colloquial)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (勉強):

→ Japanese: 勉(べん)強(きょう) (benkyō, “study”)
→ Vietnamese: miễn cưỡng (勉強)

References

羅竹風 [Luo, Zhufeng], editor (1986–1994), “勉强”, in 漢語大詞典 [Hanyu Da Cidian] (in Chinese), 1st edition, Shanghai: Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House, →ISBN

Japanese

Kanji in this term
勉	強
べん Grade: 3	きょう Grade: 2
kan'on

Alternative spelling
勉強 (kyūjitai)

Alternative forms

(honorific) お勉強(べんきょう) (o-benkyō)

Etymology

From Sinitic 勉強 / 勉强. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “How did "to force somebody to do something" become "to study"?”)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [bẽ̞ŋʲkʲo̞ː]
(Tokyo) べんきょー [bèńkyóó] (Heiban – [0])^[2]^[3]^[4]^[1]

(Kyōto) べんきょー [béńkyóó] (Kōki – [0])^[1]

Noun

勉(べん)強(きょう) • (benkyō) ^{←べんきやう (benkyau)^?}

studying, studies, study
成績(せいせき)のためだけの勉強(べんきょう)
seiseki no tame dake no benkyō
studying for the sole purpose of getting good grades

ここは部活(ぶかつ)などよりも勉強(べんきょう)に熱心(ねっしん)な学校(がっこう)だ。
Koko wa bukatsu nado yori mo benkyō ni nesshin na gakkō da.
This high school is more serious about studies than clubs or sports.

Verb

勉(べん)強(きょう)する • (benkyō suru) ^{←べんきやう (benkyau)^?}transitive or intransitive suru (stem 勉(べん)強(きょう)し (benkyō shi), past 勉(べん)強(きょう)した (benkyō shita))

to study
学校(がっこう)で英語(えいご)を勉強(べんきょう)する ― gakkō de eigo o benkyō suru ― to study English at school
to discount, to reduce the price of something
勉強(べんきょう)させてもらいます。
Benkyō sasete moraimasu.
Let me discount / I'll give you a discount.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "勉強する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	勉強し	べんきょうし	benkyō shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	勉強し	べんきょうし	benkyō shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	勉強する	べんきょうする	benkyō suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	勉強する	べんきょうする	benkyō suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	勉強すれ	べんきょうすれ	benkyō sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	勉強せよ¹ 勉強しろ²	べんきょうせよ¹ べんきょうしろ²	benkyō seyo¹ benkyō shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	勉強される	べんきょうされる	benkyō sareru
Causative	勉強させる勉強さす	べんきょうさせるべんきょうさす	benkyō saseru benkyō sasu
Potential	勉強できる	べんきょうできる	benkyō dekiru
Volitional	勉強しよう	べんきょうしよう	benkyō shiyō
Negative	勉強しない	べんきょうしない	benkyō shinai
Negative continuative	勉強せず	べんきょうせず	benkyō sezu
Formal	勉強します	べんきょうします	benkyō shimasu
Perfective	勉強した	べんきょうした	benkyō shita
Conjunctive	勉強して	べんきょうして	benkyō shite
Hypothetical conditional	勉強すれば	べんきょうすれば	benkyō sureba

¹ Written imperative
² Spoken imperative

Derived terms

勉強家(べんきょうか) (benkyōka): a studious person

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 “べん‐きょう［‥キャウ］【勉強】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

“勉強”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
勉	強

Adverb

勉強

chữ Hán form of miễn cưỡng (“reluctantly”)

Adjective

勉強

chữ Hán form of miễn cưỡng (“reluctant”)

[NKD2O-1] 1.0 ^1.1 “べん‐きょう［‥キャウ］【勉強】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-3] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[SMK5-4] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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