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硬

硬 — stiff, hard

Learn the correct stroke order for 硬 (stiff), a 12-stroke kanji.

JLPT N2Secondary school12 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 12
On'yomi (音読み)コウkou
Kun'yomi (訓読み)かた.いkatai
Strokes12
Radical石
Frequency#1101
Meaningsstiff, hard

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 12 — start from the green dot

Common Words

強硬きょうこうfirm; strong; unbendingna-adjective
硬いかたいhard; solid; toughi-adjective
硬化こうかhardening; vulcanization; vulcanisationnoun
硬貨こうかcoinnoun
硬式こうしきhard (esp. of hardball, tennis, etc.)noun
硬質こうしつhardness; stiffnessnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 硬 (stiff) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N2 level. It has 12 strokes with radical 石.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 硬 is #1101, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

強硬きょうこう — firm; strong; unbending
硬いかたい — hard; solid; tough
硬化こうか — hardening; vulcanization; vulcanisation

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (石)

石stone研polish砂sand砕smash破rend砲cannon硫sulphur硝nitrate

Same reading

区ward効merit講lecture航navigate厚thick香incense荒laid waste黄yellow

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 硬 have?

The kanji 硬 (stiff) has 12 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 硬?

硬 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 硬 mean?

硬 means: stiff, hard. On'yomi readings: コウ. Kun'yomi readings: かた.い.

What JLPT level is 硬?

硬 is a JLPT N2 kanji. This is an advanced kanji.