頑張って

The conjunctive form of verb 頑張る (ganbaru, “to hold out, to hang on, to persist, to not give up”).

• IPA^(key): [ɡã̠mba̠t̚te̞]

頑張って (hiragana がんばって, rōmaji ganbatte)

1. conjunctive form of 頑張る (ganbaru) [godan]
   1. do your best, good luck, hang in there, come on, don't give up, keep going

Used for encouragement or to wish good fortune, it translates more as “do your best/give it your best” than “good luck”; compare French bon courage. In another sense, it connotes that there's always something better at the end of trying times.

As the conjunctive form, this is the most commonly used form of the verb when speaking directly to a single person. When cheering on a team or group, the imperative form 頑張れ (ganbare) is more common.