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This one stumped my Japanese friend that I was having dinner with earlier
tonight. We were talking about the fact that tomorrow is Monday and I had a
tough work week ahead. She said `ガンバレ`, I paused, and asked what was the
difference between that and `頑張{がんば}って` . She paused, then said I should ask
someone else. Like a lot of native speakers, some word choices just come
naturally and she's never examined the hows and whys.

I notice just now that when I type them in, my IME's first suggestion for
`がんばって` is in kanji, and the first suggestion for `がんばれ` is in katakana. Is
that indicative of a difference in meaning and usage, or merely convention in
writing?

Also, I do know that `がんばって` can be followed by `ください`, and I think `がんばれ`
can't. So perhaps it's just a matter of the form of the verb? Still, even if
that's the case, I'm wondering if there are different implications for
choosing one or the other.

Anyone know what the difference is?

_Please note: In accordance with[the discussion on meta regarding linguistic
terminology](https://japanese.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/378/is-this-
forum-for-japanese-learners-or-language-learners), I'm going to request that
answers be in plain English (and Japanese) so that everyone can understand.
Or, at least, please know that I wouldn't mark an answer as correct if it only
contained technical linguistic terms. Thanks for your understanding._
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2011-07-10T13:49:02.383
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word-choice
What's the difference between がんばれ and 頑張って 【がんばって】?
> がんばれ is the imperative form of がんばる

For most verbs of action it is clearly used to give an order and can be
perceived as rude or very familiar in most cases. (You might have often heard
死ね in movies. This is the imperative form of 死ぬ.)

がんばれ, of course is not rude. It's familiar and encouraging. With the use of
katakana it can be viewed as a slogan or propaganda.

> がんばって is the request form of the same verb.

Most people think this form is a more polite way to order someone to do
something. But technically it is not correct. You make a request but you can
expect it to be refused.

You can make it a polite request by adding ください

In brief:

  * がんばれ

Use with close friends and family. Is often accompanied by a movement of the
fist and gives an idea of strength.

  * がんばって

Is used with people with whom you would use the neutral form of speech but not
necessarily very close people. This is the simple "good luck" or "hold on"
(etc...) without much involvement from the speaker.

  * がんばってください

is the polite for of the above. Implies more 'distance' between the
interlocutors.
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2011-07-10T14:55:50.363
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「がんばって」 and 「ガンバレ」 from my experience are used rather interchangeably.

They do stem from the same verb 「頑張る」: So, 「がんばって」 = 「頑張って」 while 「ガンバレ」 =
「頑張れ」.

Strictly speaking, 「頑張って」 is a request, while 「頑張れ」 is a command. Hence, 「頑張れ」
carries a slightly heavier tone as well as a bit more casual. However, it is a
very small difference. As well, the differences have been blurred by the
extensive over-use of the phrase.

The reason for 「ガンバレ」 to be typeset in katakana is because it is an emphasis
of the characters. Say you were sitting at a sports day, cheering on your
friend, this is where 「ガンバレ」 might be slightly more appropriate.

Overall, there is not a big difference between the two words. It is more of a
word choice depending on your speaking style.
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2011-07-10T22:16:43.257
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I think they are pretty interchangeable as expressions of support.

As far as nuances are concerned, がんばれ seems a little bit stronger to me. When
someone is having a hard time, or working for something out of the ordinary
(university exam, sport tournament), family and supporters would shout "がんばれ".
It sounds (a bit) harsher, it's more direct than がんばって.

Also, you probably wouldn't say "がんばれ" to someone you don't know or just met;
you'd have to say がんばって(ください).
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2011-07-11T01:28:31.360
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The first difference is that "がんばれ" is more informal, while "がんばって(ください)" Is a
little more formal. If you understand the whole in-group/out-group thing, plus
acknowledging whether the person to which you are saying this is "above" or
"below" (or "equal") to you in standing (based on age, etc...), that would be
the main criteria for choosing one over the other. If the person you are
saying that to is an equal or "inferior" (not in reality, just in the way the
Japanese order their relationship hierarchies), "がんばれ" would be a more likely
choice, especially if familiarity is also an ingredient. The higher someone is
above you, the more politely you would want to say this (or anything), also
keeping in consideration how well you know them and whether they would
consider you to be "in-" or "out-group" with regard to the context of saying
it.

Little of this translates well into English. Having been around Japanese
culture for 25 years, I can tell you that the Japanese take these things very
seriously, but they expect that "foreigners" are not able to understand the
nuances, and they therefore tend to give "us" a great leeway with our
inadequate use of their language. Because much of my experience in Japan was
in more formal settings, I learned to err on the side of formality, and this
has paid off for me greatly with many Japanese I had relationships with coming
to respect me for my respect of their culture.

Therefore, my advice is, when in doubt, use "がんばってください" to show your respect
for the Japanese people and their culture. I believe it will go a long way to
endear you to them.
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