Meaning of 坚强
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- staunch
- strong
How to use 坚强
坚强 usually describes emotional or mental strength, especially when someone faces hardship, illness, or loss. It can also be a verb-like adjective in phrases such as 坚强起来 (become strong). Example: 她很坚强，从来不哭。(Tā hěn jiānqiáng, cónglái bù kū.) She is very strong and never cries.
坚 (jiān) means firm or solid, and 强 (qiáng) means strong. Put them together and you get someone who stays firm and strong inside, like solid ground that does not give way.
Common mistake: Learners often use 坚强 for physical strength, as in saying a weightlifter is 坚强. For muscles or power, use 强壮 (qiángzhuàng) or 强大 (qiángdà) instead. Also keep the second syllable as qiáng (second tone), not qiǎng (third tone), which is the reading in 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng).
坚强 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
坚 jiān · hard · 7 strokes
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强 qiáng · strong · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 坚强.
| 坚持 | jiānchí | to persevere with; to persist in |
| 强大 | qiángdà | big and strong; formidable; powerful |
| 强烈 | qiángliè | strong; intense |
| 加强 | jiāqiáng | to reinforce; to strengthen; to enhance |
| 强调 | qiángdiào | to emphasize (a statement); to stress |
| 坚决 | jiānjué | firm; resolute; determined |
| 坚固 | jiāngù | firm; firmly |
| 强迫 | qiǎngpò | to compel; to force |
| 坚定 | jiāndìng | firm; steady |
| 增强 | zēngqiáng | to increase; to strengthen |
| 强度 | qiángdù | strength; intensity |
| 强壮 | qiángzhuàng | strong; sturdy |
Questions about 坚强
What does 坚强 mean?
坚强 (jiānqiáng) means "staunch; strong" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 坚强?
坚强 is made of 2 characters: 坚 (7 strokes), 强 (12 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 坚强 an HSK word?
Yes. 坚强 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 坚强 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 坚强 is written 堅強.
What is the difference between 坚强 and 坚决?
坚强 describes inner toughness when facing difficulty. 坚决 (jiānjué) means firm or determined about a decision or attitude, as in 坚决反对 (firmly oppose).
How do I tell someone to be strong in Chinese?
A common phrase is 你要坚强 (nǐ yào jiānqiáng), meaning you need to be strong. People also say 坚强一点 (jiānqiáng yìdiǎn), be a little stronger, to comfort someone going through a hard time.