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精一杯 (せいいっぱい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N2 Freq. Frequency Top 10,000 Meanings 1
noun
one's best ; the best one can do
Used as a noun to refer to the utmost effort or limit of one's ability. Often appears in phrases like 精一杯だ (it's the best I can do) or 精一杯の (one's best possible).
た
。
He answered with his best possible smile.
2
adverb
with all one's might ; as hard as possible
Adverbial use meaning to do something to the fullest extent of one's ability. Commonly modifies verbs like 頑張る, 努力する, 走る, etc.
Kanji 杯 counter for cupfuls, wine glass, glass Similar words 全ぜん 力りょく 全力 is more objective, meaning 'full power' or 'all one's strength', often used in physical or competitive contexts. 精一杯 carries a nuance of personal limit or emotional best effort.
一いっ 生しょう 懸けん 命めい 一生懸命 emphasizes earnest, desperate effort, often with a connotation of risking everything. 精一杯 is more about doing the best within one's current capacity.
Etymology Compound of 精 (せい, 'spirit, energy') and 一杯 (いっぱい, 'full, one cupful'), literally meaning 'a full cup of spirit'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used since the Edo period to express doing something to the limit of one's ability.
