労う

§ Understanding 労う (ねぎらう)

Japanese Word

労う (ねぎらう)

Pronunciation

negirau

Part of Speech

Verb

CEFR Level

B1

Definition

To thank for effort; to reward for hard work.

§ What 労う (ねぎらう) means

The verb 労う (ねぎらう) is used to express appreciation or gratitude for someone's effort, hard work, or toil. It's more than just saying "thank you"; it carries a nuance of acknowledging the difficulty or struggle involved in their actions and offering comfort or praise for enduring it. You would use this when someone has put in a significant amount of effort, especially if it was challenging or tiring.

Think of it as recognizing the "labor" (労) involved. It's often used by superiors to subordinates, by teachers to students, or generally by someone in a position to acknowledge the efforts of another. It implies a sense of compassion and recognition of their contribution.

§ Examples of 労う (ねぎらう) in use

§ Similar words and when to use this one vs alternatives

Japanese has several ways to express gratitude and appreciation. While 労う (ねぎらう) focuses on acknowledging effort and hard work, let's look at some other common expressions and how they differ:

• 感謝する (かんしゃする) - To thank, to appreciate

  This is the general word for expressing thanks. It's broad and can be used in almost any situation. It doesn't necessarily carry the nuance of acknowledging *effort* or *difficulty* as strongly as 労う (ねぎらう) does.

  ご協力に感謝します。
  I [thank you for/appreciate] your cooperation.

  You would use 感謝する (かんしゃする) for general acts of kindness or assistance, while 労う (ねぎらう) is more specific to acknowledging the *effort* behind those acts.

• お疲れ様 (おつかれさま) / ご苦労様 (ごくろうさま) - Good work, thank you for your hard work (casual/formal)

  These phrases are very common in daily Japanese life. They are greetings used to acknowledge someone's hard work or fatigue. お疲れ様 (おつかれさま) is more general and can be used between equals or by a superior to a subordinate. ご苦労様 (ごくろうさま) is typically used by a superior to a subordinate and implies acknowledging their toil.

  今日もお疲れ様でした！
  Good work today! (You must be tired!)

  警備員さん、ご苦労様です。
  Thank you for your hard work, security guard. (Acknowledging their toil)

  While お疲れ様 (おつかれさま) and ご苦労様 (ごくろうさま) are common expressions for daily interactions, 労う (ねぎらう) is a verb that describes the *act* of showing appreciation for effort. You can say 「労いの言葉をかける」 (to offer words of appreciation for hard work) or 「労いの品を贈る」 (to give a gift in appreciation of hard work). These phrases themselves are not interchangeable with 労う (ねぎらう).

• 褒める (ほめる) - To praise, to compliment

  褒める (ほめる) means to express approval or admiration for someone's achievements or qualities. While it can overlap with 労う (ねぎらう) in praising hard work, 褒める (ほめる) can also be used for talent, appearance, or a good performance that didn't necessarily involve a lot of struggle.

  彼女の絵を褒めた。
  I [praised/complimented] her painting.

  When you 褒める (ほめる) someone, you're focusing on their positive qualities or the result of their actions. When you 労う (ねぎらう) someone, you're focusing on the *effort* they put in, especially if it was taxing.

In summary, use 労う (ねぎらう) when you want to specifically acknowledge and express appreciation for someone's significant effort, hard work, or perseverance, particularly when that effort involved some degree of difficulty or sacrifice. It's a more formal and empathetic way of showing recognition than a simple "thank you" or general praise.