# 励 — encourage; be diligent

励 means “encourage; be diligent”. It is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 7 strokes. On'yomi: レイ (rei). Kun'yomi: はげ(む) (hagemu). You'll see it in words such as 励ます (hagemasu, “to encourage; to cheer on”).

- Meaning: encourage; be diligent
- On'yomi: レイ (rei)
- Kun'yomi: はげ(む) (hagemu)
- Strokes: 7
- Level: JLPT N1 · set Doing & acting 2

## How to remember 励

Parts: 厂 cliff · 万 ten thousand · 力 power

## Words with 励

| Word | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 励ます | はげます (hagemasu) | to encourage; to cheer on |
| 励む | はげむ (hagemu) | to work hard; to try hard |
| 励まし | はげまし (hagemashi) | encouragement; cheering on |

## Don't confuse it with

[栃](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/horse-chestnut/) · [派](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/faction/) · [脈](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/pulse/)

## More in the “Doing & acting 2” set

[促](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/urge/) · [控](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/hold-back/) · [隠](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/hide/) · [索](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/look-up/) · [励](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/encourage/) · [耐](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/endure/) · [克](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/overcome/) · [遂](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/carry-through/) · [奨](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/urge-on/)

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From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/encourage/. Last updated 2026-11-01.