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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.
Memory Mnemonic
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
A new insulating laminate has just been designed by Attwater and Sons.
Cultural Notes for 刚
🏮Cultural insight
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.
Word Family of 刚
Words Containing This Character20
刚gānghard剛
刚刚gānggāngjust recently剛剛
刚才gāngcáijust now剛才
刚好gānghǎojust剛好
金刚diamond金剛
刚果Congo剛果
刚性rigidity剛性
刚度stiffness剛度
阳刚manly陽剛
金刚石diamond金剛石
刚巧by chance剛巧
刚毅gāngyìresolute剛毅
刚强firm剛強
刚烈unyielding剛烈
曹刚川Cao Gangchuan (1935-), former artillery officer, senior PRC politician and army leader曹剛川
血气方刚full of sap (idiom); young and vigorous血氣方剛
刚玉corundum (mineral)剛玉
刚愎自用obstinate and self-opinionated (idiom)剛愎自用
刚健energetic剛健
以柔克刚to use softness to conquer strength (idiom)以柔克剛
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 刚 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 刚
While 刚 primarily describes physical attributes, it can metaphorically describe someone's strong determination or resolve.
You can say 刚才 (gāngcái), meaning 'just now', to indicate something that happened recently.
Not necessarily; while it often conveys strength, it can also describe a lack of flexibility, which may not always be seen as positive.
