抗 meaning and stroke order
To defy, to fight, to resist
How to write 抗, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
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- 6
- 7
Meaning of 抗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to resist
- to fight
- to defy
- anti-
How 抗 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Fighting 亢 with bare hands 扌; 亢 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 抗
The hand radical 扌 on the left pushes back against 亢 (kàng) on the right, like fighting with bare hands. 亢 also gives the sound, so 抗 is read kàng.
抗 means to resist or fight against something, and it often works like the prefix anti- in words such as 抗生素 (kàngshēngsù, antibiotic). It usually appears in two-character words like 反抗, 抵抗 and 抗议 rather than alone. Example: 学生们在广场上抗议。 (Xuéshēngmen zài guǎngchǎng shàng kàngyì.) The students protested in the square.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 抗 with 坑 (kēng, pit) and 炕 (kàng, heated brick bed), which share the 亢 part. Check the left side: the hand 扌 means resisting, earth 土 means a pit, and fire 火 means the heated bed.
Common words with 抗
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 反抗 | fǎnkàng | to resist; to rebel | HSK 6 |
| 对抗 | duìkàng | to withstand; to resist | HSK 6 |
| 抵抗 | dǐkàng | to resist; resistance | HSK 6 |
| 抗议 | kàngyì | to protest; protest | HSK 6 |
| 抗拒 | kàngjù | to resist; to defy | HSK 7-9 |
| 抗争 | kàngzhēng | to resist; to make a stand and fight (against) | HSK 7-9 |
| 抗生素 | kàngshēngsù | antibiotic | HSK 7-9 |
| 抗衡 | kànghéng | to compete with; to vie with | HSK 7-9 |
| 违抗 | wéikàng | to disobey | |
| 抗体 | kàngtǐ | (immunology) antibody | |
| 抗议者 | kàngyìzhě | protester | |
| 抗战 | kàngzhàn | war of resistance, especially the war against Japan (1937-1945) | |
| 抵抗力 | dǐkànglì | resistance; immunity | |
| 抗命 | kàngmìng | against orders; to disobey |
抗 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 抗
How many strokes are in 抗?
抗 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 抗 mean?
抗 (kàng) means to defy, to fight, to resist. A common word with it is 反抗 (fǎnkàng), meaning "to resist; to rebel".
How do you pronounce 抗?
抗 is pronounced kàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 抗?
The radical of 抗 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 抗 under this radical.
Is 抗 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 抗 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 反抗, 抵抗 and 对抗?
反抗 (fǎnkàng) means to rebel against authority or oppression. 抵抗 (dǐkàng) means to hold off an attack, for example by an army or the body's immune system. 对抗 (duìkàng) means two sides opposing each other on equal terms.
Can 抗 be used to make new anti- words?
Yes. 抗 combines with many nouns to mean resistant to or against something, such as 抗日 (kàngrì, resist Japan) or 抗压 (kàngyā, withstand pressure). This is common in news and product descriptions.