強 — how to write the kanji for “strong”
強 (“strong”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 112th most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 2 on readings and 5 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit stacked: 弓 (“bow”, its radical), strokes 1–3; 厶 (“private”), strokes 4–5; 虫 (“insect”), strokes 6–11, each finished before the next. Read kyou, it forms 強化 (“strengthening”), 勉強 (“study”) and 強制 (“compulsion”); the native reading tsuyo-i gives 強さ (“strength”) and 強気 (“confident”). Mainland Chinese writes it 强 (qiáng, “strong”), an HSK 4 character.
- Strokes
- 11
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 弓 (“bow”)
- On
- キョウ, ゴウ
- Kun
- つよ·まる, し·いる, つよ·い
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- Horizontal-turn ㇕top leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Vertical-turn-curve-hook ㇉top leftdownwards → rightwards → downwards
- Left-falling-turn ㇜topdown and left → rightwards
- Dot ㇔top rightdown and right
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕centerrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Rising stroke ㇀bottomrightwards
- Dot ㇔bottom rightdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 11 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- キョウ kyou, ゴウ gou
- Kun (native)
- つよ·まる tsuyo-maru, し·いる shi-iru, つよ·い tsuyo-i (rare), つよ·める tsuyo-meru (rare), こわ·い kowa-i (rare)
- Meanings
- strong
- Read kyou
- 強化 勉強 強制 強力 強硬 強烈
- Read tsuyo-i
- 強さ 強気
- Read gou
- 強盗 強引
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 112th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 강 gang
- Common words
- 45 in JMdict
Words with 強
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 強化 | きょうか kyouka | strengthening; intensifying |
| 勉強 | べんきょう benkyou | study; diligence |
| 強制 | きょうせい kyousei | compulsion; coercion |
| 強さ | つよさ tsuyosa | strength; power |
| 強力 | きょうりょく kyouryoku | powerful; strong |
| 強硬 | きょうこう kyoukou | firm; strong |
| 強盗 | ごうとう goutou | robber; mugger |
| 強気 | つよき tsuyoki | confident; assured |
| 強烈 | きょうれつ kyouretsu | strong; intense |
| 強引 | ごういん gouin | overbearing; coercive |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: