How do you say "You’re motivated." in Japanese?

"You’re motivated." in Japanese is "やる気がありますね。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘You’re motivated.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "やる気がありますね。" mean in English?

"やる気がありますね。" means "You’re motivated." in English. Usage tip: With [ね], it sounds like confirming the other person’s motivation. In interviews, you’ll more likely say about yourself: [やる気があります].

やる気がありますね。

yaruki ga ari masu ne

[yah-roo-kee gah ah-ree mahss neh]

💬 Usage Tip: With [ね], it sounds like confirming the other person’s motivation. In interviews, you’ll more likely say about yourself: [やる気があります].

🇯🇵 In Japan: Praising the interviewer directly is rare; instead, you might show positive alignment with the company values more subtly.

Phrase Breakdown

やる気があります

yaruki ga ari masu

have motivation / be motivated

「やる気」 = motivation/drive. 「があります」 is polite “there is / have.” Together: “(You) have motivation.” Often said as a positive evaluation.

Example

彼はやる気があります。

He is motivated.

Words in this phrase

やる気

yaruki

[yah-roo-kee]

motivation; willingness; drive

A noun meaning your motivation/drive to do something. Common in job interviews to talk about enthusiasm for the role (e.g., やる気があります).

Example

面接でやる気をしっかり伝えたいです。

I want to clearly communicate my motivation in the interview.

が

[gah]

(subject marker)

Particle that marks the subject of the sentence. Here it marks やる気 as what 'exists' (is present): やる気があります = 'I have motivation.'

Example

やる気がある人と一緒に働きたいです。

I want to work with people who have motivation.

あり

ari

[ah-ree]

to exist; to have (polite stem)

Verb stem of ある. Used with ます to make polite speech: あります. In interviews it expresses 'I have (skills/motivation).'

Example

入社へのやる気があり、長く貢献したいです。

I have motivation to join the company and want to contribute long-term.

ます

masu

[mahss]

polite verb ending (present/future)

Polite ending attached to a verb stem (e.g., あり + ます). Common in job interviews because it sounds respectful.

Example

やる気があり、責任を持って取り組みます。

I’m motivated and will tackle tasks responsibly.

ね

[neh]

right?; isn’t it? (seeking agreement/softening)

Sentence-ending particle that softens the tone and invites agreement/confirmation. In interviews, it can sound casual depending on context.

Example

やる気がありますね、と言っていただけて嬉しいです。

I’m happy to hear you say, “You’re motivated, aren’t you?”

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