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What is the Kanji for 'Hard' and 'Stiff'? | 硬

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Hard' and 'Stiff', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Hard' and 'Stiff' is 硬.

    kanji

    硬

    Meaning

    Hard, Stiff

    Reading

    kunyomiかた

    kata

    onyomiこう

    kou

    Parts

    石Stone 更Renew, Grow late

    Example Word

    硬い: hard. The Japanese adjective '硬い (かたい)' means 'hard'. It describes something that is physically firm, rigid, or difficult to bend or break. It can also be used metaphorically to describe something strict, inflexible, or tense, such as a person's attitude or a situation. For example: this bread is hard「このパンは硬い」(このパンはかたい). His expression was hard「彼の表情は硬かった」(かれのひょうじょうはかたかった). When used metaphorically, it often conveys a sense of stiffness or lack of flexibility, as in '硬い態度 (かたいたいど) (stiff attitude)'.

    Radical

    石

    Stroke Count

    12

    JLPT

    N2

    Grade

    8

    Frequency

    1759

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 硬

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    石

    Meaning

    Stone

    kanji

    更

    Meaning

    Renew, Grow late

Words Using 硬

This kanji is used in 2 words:

    word

    硬さ

    Meaning

    Hardness

    word

    硬い

    Meaning

    Hard

Kanji Related to 硬 Through the Part 石

These 17 kanji contain the part 石 as well.

    kanji

    砕

    Meaning

    Smash

    kanji

    砂

    Meaning

    Sand

    kanji

    碑

    Meaning

    Stone, Monument, Tombstone

    kanji

    礎

    Meaning

    Foundation stone, Foundation

    kanji

    拓

    Meaning

    Reclaim, Cultivation

    kanji

    硫

    Meaning

    Sulfur, Sulphur

    kanji

    硝

    Meaning

    Niter, Nitrate

    kanji

    岩

    Meaning

    Boulder

    kanji

    砲

    Meaning

    Gun, Cannon

    kanji

    確

    Meaning

    Certain

    kanji

    磨

    Meaning

    Polish

    kanji

    研

    Meaning

    Sharpen

    kanji

    碁

    Meaning

    Go, The game of Go

    kanji

    妬

    Meaning

    Envy, Jealous

    kanji

    磁

    Meaning

    Magnet, Porcelain

    kanji

    礁

    Meaning

    Reef

    kanji

    破

    Meaning

    Break, Tear

Kanji Related to 硬 Through the Part 更

These 2 kanji contain the part 更 as well.

    kanji

    便

    Meaning

    Convenience

    kanji

    梗

    Meaning

    Spiny

Learn the Kanji 硬

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 硬 mean?

硬 means 'Hard' and 'Stiff'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Junior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N2 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.