The kanji 努 stands for "to make an effort," "to endeavor," "to strive," or "diligence." It captures the idea of putting forth energy, working hard, and making a concerted attempt to achieve a goal. It implies perseverance and a commitment to completing a task, even when it is difficult. It's about a focused application of energy and time.

・On-yomi (音読み): ド (do) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): つと（める） (tsuto(meru))

⚫︎努力（どりょく） Translation: Effort; diligence ⚫︎努力する（どりょくする） Translation: To make an effort; to strive ⚫︎精一杯努力する（せいいっぱいどりょくする） Translation: To do one's best; to make every effort

The kanji 努 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. It combines two parts: ⚫︎ The phonetic component is 奴 (nu), which originally meant "slave" or "servant." This part provides the sound of the kanji. ⚫︎ The semantic component is 力 (chikara), meaning "power" or "strength". ⚫︎ The combination suggests the idea of "slaves" exerting strength. Therefore, it means to make an effort or strive hard.