The Meaning of iyoku [意欲] In Japanese

意欲
いよく
Romaji: iyoku N2

What does 意欲 mean?

Translation and Meaning

will, motivation, drive

Definition

意欲 means a strong internal drive to act or pursue goals; it signifies a proactive willingness and determination that fuels action, capturing the mental state of wanting to achieve something and committing energy toward it.

Type

noun (名詞, 漢語由来の合成語)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • strong motivation or drive to act toward a goal
  • willingness to take on tasks or challenges
  • enthusiastic interest or eagerness to pursue a particular activity

Etymology

意 mind or intention; 欲 desire; their combination forms a Sino-Japanese compound whose pronunciation in Japanese uses on'yomi to yield iyoku, with historical ties to Chinese yì yù phonology.

Composition

  • 意 means mind, intention
  • 欲 means desire, craving
  • when combined they express the mind’s desire to act, i.e., motivation or drive

Usage

Used in formal writing and everyday language to describe inner motivation or willingness to act; common in academic, corporate, and self-improvement contexts; often paired with verbs and adjectives such as 持つ, 高める, 高い, and expressions like 意欲を持つ, 意欲を高める; appropriate in professional or neutral tones.
💡 Tips
Visualize two kanji: a mind (意) fueling a push to act (欲). Remember the phrase: when your mind and desire align, you have 意欲—your inner drive to move toward a goal.

Variations

  • 熱意 (netsui) — enthusiasm
  • 動機 (dōki) — motive
  • 意志 (ishi) — will
  • 野心 (yashin) — ambition

Example Phrases

  • 朝のカフェで 新しい目標に 意欲を 持って 仕事に 取り組む。
    Asa no kafe de atarashii mokuhyō ni iyoku o motte shigoto ni torikumu.
    At the morning cafe, I tackle work with renewed motivation toward a new goal.
    Lista:
    • 朝のカフェで (asa no kafe de) – at the morning cafe
    • 新しい目標に (atarashii mokuhyō ni) – toward a new goal
    • 意欲を (iyoku o) – motivation
    • 持って (motte) – having
    • 仕事に (shigoto ni) – to work on
    • 取り組む (torikumu) – tackle
    Here, 「意欲」 means motivation or drive; used with を持って to express having motivation for the action. 「意欲」 shows the speaker’s internal drive.
意欲