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Word 2896 of 4449

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しぶとい

tenacious; stubborn; hard to shake off

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. あの選手はしぶとい。

    あのせんしゅはしぶとい。

    That player just won't give up.

  2. この雑草はしぶとくて、抜いてもすぐ生えてくる。

    このざっそうはしぶとくて、ぬいてもすぐはえてくる。

    This weed is stubborn — pull it out and it's straight back.

  3. 彼は結構しぶといね。転んでもただでは起きぬ、いい根性しているよ。

    かれはけっこうしぶといね。ころんでもただではおきぬ、いいこんじょうしているよ。

    He's a tenacious guy who always manages to come out on top. He's the kind of guy who can turn any situation to his advantage.

Common patterns

しぶとく粘る
to hang on tenaciously
しぶとい相手
a stubborn opponent
しぶとく生き残る
to survive against the odds

Memory tip

Admiring when it means resilience (a team that refuses to lose), unflattering when it means someone who won't take no for an answer. 粘り強い is the purely positive alternative; 頑固 is purely negative.

Quick check

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What does しぶとい mean?