刚 gāng — hard; firm; strong; just; barely; exactly
我刚到家就下雨了。Wǒ gāng dào jiā jiù xià yǔ le.It started raining as soon as I got home.
Common words: 刚刚 (gāng gang)、刚才 (gāng cái)、刚好 (gāng hǎo)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "strong"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "strong", including 刚 (gāng), 状 (zhuàng), 坚 (jiān), 监 (jiān / jiàn), 固 (gù), 硬 (yìng). Study pinyin…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "strong" covers 10 different Chinese characters — 刚 (gāng), 状 (zhuàng), 坚 (jiān), 监 (jiān / jiàn), 固 (gù), 硬 (yìng), 壮 (zhuàng), 酷 (kù) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 10 characters do not share a sound — their readings span gāng, zhuàng, jiān, jiàn, gù, yìng, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 刚 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 刚 gānghard; firm; strong; just; barely; exactlyUseful words: 刚刚, 刚才
- 状 zhuàngaccusation; suit; state; condition; strong; greatUseful words: 状态, 状况
- 坚 jiānstrong; solid; firm; unyielding; resoluteUseful words: 坚持, 坚强
- 监 jiān / jiànhard; strong; solid; firm; to supervise; to inspectUseful words: 监督, 监狱
- 固 gùhard; strong; solid; sureUseful words: 固定, 坚固
Common words for these 10 "strong" characters
Anchor each of these 10 characters in a word you can picture — start with 刚 (gāng) — so "strong" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
刚刚gāng gangjust recently; just a moment ago刚才gāng cáijust now; a moment ago刚好gāng hǎojust; exactly; to happen to be状态zhuàng tàicondition; state; state of affairs状况zhuàng kuàngcondition; state; situation形状xíng zhuàngform; shape坚持jiān chíto persevere with; to persist in; to insist on坚强jiān qiángstaunch; strong坚决jiān juéfirm; resolute; determined监督jiān dūto supervise; to oversee; to inspect
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 10 ways to say "strong".
状 zhuàng — accusation; suit; state; condition; strong; great
他今天的状态很好。Tā jīn tiān de zhuàng tài hěn hǎo.He is in good condition today.
Common words: 状态 (zhuàng tài)、状况 (zhuàng kuàng)、形状 (xíng zhuàng)
坚 jiān — strong; solid; firm; unyielding; resolute
这座桥建得非常坚固。Zhè zuò qiáo jiàn de fēi cháng jiān gù.This bridge is built very solidly.
Common words: 坚持 (jiān chí)、坚强 (jiān qiáng)、坚决 (jiān jué)
监 jiān / jiàn — hard; strong; solid; firm; to supervise; to inspect
考试的时候有老师监考。Kǎo shì de shí hou yǒu lǎo shī jiān kǎo.During the exam there is a teacher invigilating.
Common words: 监督 (jiān dū)、监狱 (jiān yù)、监视 (jiān shì)
固 gù — hard; strong; solid; sure
这张桌子做得很结实牢固。Zhè zhāng zhuō zi zuò de hěn jiē shi láo gù.This table is made very sturdy and firm.
Common words: 固定 (gù dìng)、坚固 (jiān gù)、固体 (gù tǐ)
硬 yìng — hard; stiff; strong; firm
这块面包放久了，变得很硬。Zhè kuài miàn bāo fàng jiǔ le, biàn de hěn yìng.This bread has been left out too long and become hard.
Common words: 硬币 (yìng bì)、硬件 (yìng jiàn)、僵硬 (jiāng yìng)
壮 zhuàng — to strengthen; strong; robust
这个小伙子长得又高又壮。Zhè ge xiǎo huǒ zi zhǎng de yòu gāo yòu zhuàng.This young man is tall and strong.
Common words: 强壮 (qiáng zhuàng)、壮观 (zhuàng guān)、壮丽 (zhuàng lì)
酷 kù — ruthless; strong (as of wine); (slang loan from English) cool; great
这个机器人的造型十分酷炫。Zhè ge jī qì rén de zào xíng shí fēn kù xuàn.The design of this robot is very cool.
Common words: 残酷 (cán kù)、冷酷 (lěng kù)、酷似 (kù sì)
All 10 characters
Open 刚、状、坚 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.