What does 勉 mean in Japanese?
勉 means to make an effort, especially the effort of studying. For N4 learners it lives almost entirely inside one word you already know: 勉強 (benkyou, study). Learning 勉 is really about locking in that everyday word and a few of its relatives.
The on’yomi ベン drives every common compound: 勉強 (study), 勤勉 (kinben, diligence), and 勉学 (bengaku, academic study). There is no everyday kun’yomi, so you will meet 勉 as ベン almost every time.
Reading
On’yomi: ベン (ben)
Kun’yomi: —
Basic Information
| Kanji | 勉 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | study, diligence, effort |
| Stroke Count | 10 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
勉 by itself is not used as a standalone word in everyday Japanese — you will practically always see it in a compound. The most important by far is 勉強 (benkyou), which covers both formal study and any focused learning: 日本語を勉強する (study Japanese), 試験の勉強 (studying for an exam). 勤勉 (kinben) describes a person’s diligent, hard-working character and is fairly formal. 勉学 (bengaku) is a more bookish word for academic study. Note that 勉強 also has a second, more colloquial meaning of ‘a discount’ in shops (勉強します = I’ll give you a good price), though the study sense is what N4 needs first.
Common Words
- 勉強（べんきょう / benkyou） — study, studying
- 勉強する（べんきょうする / benkyou suru） — to study
- 勤勉（きんべん / kinben） — diligence, industriousness
- 勉学（べんがく / bengaku） — academic study, learning
- 不勉強（ふべんきょう / fubenkyou） — lack of study, not studying enough
- 勉強家（べんきょうか / benkyouka） — a diligent student, a hard worker
Example Sentences
-
毎日日本語を勉強しています。
まいにちにほんごをべんきょうしています。 / Mainichi nihongo o benkyou shite imasu.
I study Japanese every day.
-
試験のために一生懸命勉強しました。
しけんのためにいっしょうけんめいべんきょうしました。 / Shiken no tame ni isshoukenmei benkyou shimashita.
I studied hard for the exam.
-
彼はとても勉強家です。
かれはとてもべんきょうかです。 / Kare wa totemo benkyouka desu.
He is a very diligent student.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
The single most useful takeaway is that 勉 = 勉強. If you know 勉強 (benkyou), you already know how 勉 behaves. Watch the reading: べんきょう has a long お sound in きょう, so the romaji is benkyou, not ‘benkyo’.
勉 has no common kun’yomi, so do not look for a native-Japanese verb reading. Compare it with its partner 強 (tsuyoi, strong): on its own 強 means ‘strong’, but glued to 勉 in 勉強 it contributes the sense of pushing/forcing effort, giving the combined meaning ‘to apply effort’ → study.
勉強家 (benkyouka) uses the suffix 家 (-ka, ‘expert/enthusiast’) to mean someone who studies hard, the same way 音楽家 means musician. It is a natural compliment for a diligent learner.
Summary
勉 means diligence or effort and appears almost only in study words, above all 勉強 (benkyou, study). There is no everyday kun’yomi, so remember it as ベン and anchor it to 勉強.