自己(じこ)ベスト

Common patterns

自己(じこ) (self) + ベスト (best, from English) — a Japanese-made compound rather than a borrowing of the English phrase.

Common collocations

• 自己(じこ)ベストを出(だ)す: to achieve a personal best
• 自己(じこ)ベストを更新(こうしん)する: to break one's personal record (the most common phrase by far)
• 自己(じこ)ベストを目指(めざ)す: to aim for a personal best
• 自己(じこ)ベストに並(なら)ぶ: to match one's personal best

Forms

Athletes sometimes write PB, after the English "personal best," in casual posts and training logs.

Usage

This is the standard word in any sport measured by time, distance, or score — track and field, swimming, marathons, weightlifting. It is neutral in register.