剛: the kanji for strong; sturdy

剛 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means strong; sturdy. Below are its readings, 3 common words and example sentences, all with audio.

strong; sturdyMeaning

ゴウOn reading

—Kun reading

10Strokes

Stroke order

剛 is written in 10 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.

Words by reading

剛 has 1 reading in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 3 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).

ゴウ (gou)

On reading.

Word	Meaning
剛健ごうけん · gōken	sturdy; manly
剛直ごうちょく · gōchoku	upright; unbending
金剛力こんごうりき · kongōriki	herculean strength

Example sentences for work and daily life

この学校は質実剛健を大切にしている。Kono gakkō wa shitsujitsu gōken o taisetsu ni shite iru.This school values simplicity and fortitude.
祖父は剛直な人だった。Sofu wa gōchoku na hito datta.My grandfather was an upright man.
柔よく剛を制す。Jū yoku gō o seisu.Softness overcomes hardness.
金剛力で重い石を持ち上げた。Kongōriki de omoi ishi o mochiageta.He lifted the heavy stone with herculean strength.
剛速球を投げる投手だ。Gōsokkyū o nageru tōshu da.He is a pitcher who throws blazing fastballs.

Questions about 剛

How many strokes does 剛 have?

剛 is written in 10 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.

What are the readings of 剛?

The on readings are gou (ゴウ). 剛 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.

What JLPT level is 剛?

N1. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.

About the JLPT level

The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N1 is designed to match the former Level 1.