励みます（はげみます、hagemimasu）
- to strive

The Japanese verb 励みます (はげみます) means "to strive," "to work hard," "to encourage oneself," or "to be diligent." It implies putting effort into something, working with enthusiasm, and trying your best to achieve a goal. It often suggests a positive attitude and a commitment to improvement or accomplishment. The subject is usually the one doing the striving or encouraging. The word can be used both to describe personal efforts and to express a desire for others to work hard. It's about taking action and not giving up. It is important to know that 励みます is the polite form.

⚫︎毎日勉強を励みます Translation: I will study hard every day. ⚫︎新しいプロジェクトに励みます Translation: I will work hard on the new project. ⚫︎チーム全員で目標達成に励みます Translation: The whole team will strive to achieve the goal.

⚫︎You can use 励みます in various situations: ⚫︎When you want to express your commitment to a task. ⚫︎When you want to encourage yourself to do your best. ⚫︎When talking about your efforts in a specific area, like studies or work. ⚫︎When encouraging others. ⚫︎The polite form, 励みます, is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. ⚫︎The masu-stem 励み can be used as a noun, for example, in the phrase "やりがいの励み" (a reward or incentive).

⚫︎The word is typically written in kanji as 励みます, but it can also be written in hiragana as はげみます. ⚫︎The okurigana (the hiragana following the kanji) is always ます when using the base form of the verb. ⚫︎Other conjugations of 励みます include 励みましょう (let's strive), 励んで (striving, and…), 励めば (if you strive), etc.

⚫︎頑張ります (がんばります): to do one's best, to try hard. This is a very common and versatile synonym. ⚫︎努力します (どりょくします): to make an effort, to strive. More formal. ⚫︎精を出します (せいを出します): to apply oneself, to work hard. ⚫︎邁進します (まいしんします): to press forward, to make steady progress (formal).

⚫︎There is no single perfect antonym for 励みます. The opposite could be to give up or not to try, which can be expressed in different ways depending on the context. Some examples are: ⚫︎諦めます (あきらめます): to give up ⚫︎怠けます (なまけます): to be lazy ⚫︎手を抜きます (てをぬきます): to slack off, to cut corners

試験に合格するために、毎日励みます。 ・Translation: I strive every day to pass the exam. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates personal commitment to studying to achieve a goal.

新しい部署でも、今まで通り励みます。 ・Translation: I will continue to work hard in the new department, as before. ・Explanation: This sentence shows a commitment to continue to work hard despite a change in circumstances.

The kanji 励 itself means "to encourage," "to cheer," or "to strive." 励ます is the base form and 励みます is the polite form, derived by adding the polite suffix ます. The origin comes from the combination of words related to encouragement and effort.