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March 24, 2026
刚(剛)gāng(gang1)
The character 刚 (gāng) primarily means 'hard' or 'firm', and is often used to describe something that is strong in texture or resolve. It can also indicate the timing of an action, such as 'just' or 'exactly' when something occurred, suggesting immediacy or recentness in context.
Strokes6Radical刂Frequency#329DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of strength and firmness is often associated with virtues like integrity and resilience, which are highly valued traits in personal and professional relationships.
Memory Tip
Imagine a strong, tough piece of metal that is freshly forged. The character 刚 (gāng) has a sharp edge, resembling the strength and firmness of metal. Visualize the metal being taken out just moments ago, emphasizing its 'just' produced state.
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AI Study Notes for 刚
Quick Contrast
刚 (gāng) vs 仅 (jǐn) — use 刚 for 'just' in terms of time or immediacy, while 仅 emphasizes limitation or exclusivity.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 刚 (gāng) with other similar-sounding words like 纲 (gāng), which means 'outline' or 'framework'. The character is often used in both formal and informal contexts, so be mindful of the nuance when describing strength versus timing.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 4 word, 刚 connects with other descriptive words about states or conditions, such as 软 (ruǎn, 'soft') or 新 (xīn, 'new'). Focus on using 刚 in sentences that require expressing strength or immediacy to build contextual understanding.
Common Mistakes
Learners often misuse 刚 in phrases, saying 刚好 (gānghǎo, 'just right') when they mean to say 刚才 (gāngcái, 'just now'). Remember to use them in the correct context to avoid confusion.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 刚
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How Well Do You Know 刚?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 刚 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
刚 = 刂 + 冈. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 刚
IDS Structure⿰冈刂
刚Full Character
=
冈gang1
left
刂dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 刚?
How to say hard in Chinese
“hard” in Chinese is刚gāng
The character 刚 (gāng) primarily means 'hard' or 'firm', and is often used to describe something that is strong in texture or resolve. It can also indicate the timing of an action, such as 'just' or 'exactly' when something occurred, suggesting immediacy or recentness in context.
When to use 刚
Common mistakes include confusing 刚 (gāng) with other similar-sounding words like 纲 (gāng), which means 'outline' or 'framework'. The character is often used in both formal and informal contexts, so be mindful of the nuance when describing strength versus timing.
刚 or something close to it
刚 (gāng) vs 仅 (jǐn) — use 刚 for 'just' in terms of time or immediacy, while 仅 emphasizes limitation or exclusivity.
What learners get wrong
Learners often misuse 刚 in phrases, saying 刚好 (gānghǎo, 'just right') when they mean to say 刚才 (gāngcái, 'just now'). Remember to use them in the correct context to avoid confusion.
Write 刚
刚
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Practice writing 刚 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 刚
刚 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
