Illustration: In an apartment entryway, a young child is determined to tie their own shoelaces before leaving. They sit bent over one sneaker, tongue pressed against their upper lip, carefully pinching two uneven loops.

JLPT N1na-adjectiveLevel estimated by Bebop

懸けん命めい

kenmei

earnest, wholehearted

Often used as 懸命に. Note written by AI.

Example sentences

  1. 少女しょうじょは懸命けんめいに涙なみだを抑おさえた。

    The girl tried hard to hold back her tears.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

  2. 彼かれらは朝あさから晩ばんまで懸命けんめいに働はたらいた。

    They worked hard from morning till night.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

  3. 私わたしは家族かぞくを養やしなうために懸命けんめいに働はたらいた。

    I worked hard in order to support my family.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

Kanji in 懸命

  • 懸state of suspension; hangOnケン・ケKunかける・かかる
  • 命fate; commandOnメイ・ミョウKunいのち

A word like this on every new tab

The Bebop Chrome extension shows one illustrated Japanese word each time you open a new tab in Chrome, with its reading, meaning, kanji and three example sentences. Choose any mix of levels from N5 to beyond N1. It’s free, with no account.

The Bebop new tab showing 音楽, music, over an illustration of a family playing music at home, with three example sentences
Add to Chrome Free on the Chrome Web Store
For Chrome on a computer. See it on the Chrome Web Store