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stiff, hard

JLPT N2 12 strokes
Kun'yomi
かた.い
On'yomi
コウ

硬 means "stiff, hard". It is a JLPT N2 kanji written in 12 strokes. It is read かた.い in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and コウ in compounds (on'yomi). It is taught beyond elementary school (junior high and up).

Stroke order & writing

Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

硬 in example sentences

  • てつかたい。

    Tetsu wa katai.

    Iron is hard.

  • しんたいかたいね。

    Shintai, katai ne.

    My body is stiff.

  • てつきんよりもかたい。

    Tetsu wa kin yori mo katai.

    Iron is harder than gold.

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, CC-BY 2.0 FR, licensed for reuse.

Words that use 硬

Common questions

What does the kanji 硬 mean?
硬 means "stiff, hard". It is a JLPT N2 kanji.
How many strokes does 硬 have?
硬 is written in 12 strokes.
How is 硬 read?
It is read かた.い in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and コウ in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 硬?
硬 is a JLPT N2 kanji.