硬 describes hardness and stiffness. Learn its readings through complete words and everyday contexts.

The idea

硬 has 12 strokes; follow the linked diagram. 硬い（かたい） is an i-adjective: 硬くなる means to become hard. 硬貨（こうか） means a coin.

Examples

  • このパンは硬かたいです。This bread is hard.
  • 肩かたが硬かたくなっています。My shoulders are stiff.
  • 地面じめんが硬かたくなりました。The ground has hardened.
  • 財布さいふに硬貨こうかを入いれました。I put coins in my wallet.
  • この石いしはとても硬かたいです。This stone is very hard.
  • 硬かたくなった肩かたをほぐしてください。Please loosen your stiff shoulders.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

硬い and 肩（かた） sound alike at the start, but their kanji and meanings differ. 硬貨 uses the reading こう, not かた.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 硬い in hiragana.

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    かたい

    硬い is かたい: this bread is hard. The final い belongs to the adjective.

  2. Write the reading of 硬貨 in hiragana.

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    こうか

    硬貨 is こうか, a coin. Learn the compound as a whole.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿貨（こうか）［硬／便］.

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    硬

    硬 completes 硬貨（こうか）, a coin; 便 does not form this word.

Use it today

Write 硬 following the diagram, then cover the readings and make a sentence using 硬い.