硬 meaning and stroke order
Hard; stiff; solid; (fig.) strong; firm; resolutely; uncompromisingly
How to write 硬, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 硬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- hard; stiff; solid
- (fig.) strong; firm
- resolutely; uncompromisingly
- laboriously; with great difficulty
- good (quality); able (person)
- (of food) filling; substantial
How 硬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Stone.
石 gives the meaning and 更 hints at the sound.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 硬
硬 is a pictophonetic character: 石 (shí, stone) on the left gives the meaning, and 更 (gēng) on the right hints at the sound. Picture something as hard as a stone and you have 硬 (yìng).
硬 describes physical hardness, like 坚硬 (jiānyìng), and also a firm or tough attitude, like 强硬 (qiángyìng). As an adverb it means doing something by force or against difficulty. Example: 他硬要去。(Tā yìng yào qù.) He insisted on going no matter what.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 便 (biàn) or 梗 (gěng) by mistake, since they share the 更 part. Only 硬 has the stone radical 石, so link the stone to hardness. Also remember the tone is fourth tone yìng, not yīng.
Common words with 硬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 硬件 | yìngjiàn | hardware | HSK 5 |
| 硬币 | yìngbì | coin | HSK 7-9 |
| 强硬 | qiángyìng | tough; unyielding | HSK 7-9 |
| 硬盘 | yìngpán | hard disk | HSK 7-9 |
| 坚硬 | jiānyìng | hard; solid | HSK 7-9 |
| 过硬 | guòyìng | to have perfect mastery of sth; to be up to the mark | HSK 7-9 |
| 生硬 | shēngyìng | rigid; stiff; lacking naturalness or smoothness; awkward; forced | HSK 7-9 |
| 硬朗 | yìnglang | robust; healthy | HSK 7-9 |
| 僵硬 | jiāngyìng | stiff; rigid | |
| 硬汉 | yìnghàn | man of steel; unyielding, tough guy | |
| 嘴硬 | zuǐyìng | reluctant to admit a mistake | |
| 变硬 | biànyìng | to stiffen | |
| 硬是 | yìngshì | just; simply | |
| 硬要 | yìngyào | firmly set on doing sth; to insist on doing |
硬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 硬
How many strokes are in 硬?
硬 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 硬 mean?
硬 (yìng) means hard; stiff; solid; (fig.) strong; firm; resolutely; uncompromisingly. A common word with it is 硬件 (yìngjiàn), meaning "hardware".
How do you pronounce 硬?
硬 is pronounced yìng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 硬?
The radical of 硬 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 硬 under this radical.
Is 硬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 硬 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 硬?
The usual opposite is 软 (ruǎn), soft. They often appear together, as in 软件 (ruǎnjiàn) software and 硬件 (yìngjiàn) hardware.
How is 硬 used to mean doing something with difficulty?
Placed before a verb, 硬 means forcing yourself or pushing through despite difficulty or resistance. For example, 硬撑 (yìng chēng) means to hold out by sheer effort, and 硬着头皮 (yìngzhe tóupí) means to brace yourself and do something you would rather avoid.