Meaning of 顽强
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- tenacious
- hard to defeat
How to use 顽强
顽强 describes a spirit, will, or effort that keeps going under pressure. It often appears before 的 or as an adverb with 地, as in 顽强地坚持 (keep going tenaciously). Example: 他顽强地活了下来。(Tā wánqiáng de huó le xiàlái.) He tenaciously survived.
顽 (wán) means stubborn and 强 (qiáng) means strong. Put them together and you get someone stubbornly strong, a fighter who refuses to give up.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 顽强 and 坚强 (jiānqiáng). 坚强 is inner emotional strength, as in 你要坚强 (be strong), while 顽强 stresses stubborn resistance in a struggle or fight. Also note that 强 is read qiáng here, not qiǎng as in 强迫 (qiǎngpò).
顽强 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.
顽 wán · stubborn · 10 strokes
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强 qiáng · strong · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 顽强.
| 强大 | qiángdà | big and strong; formidable; powerful |
| 坚强 | jiānqiáng | staunch; strong |
| 强烈 | qiángliè | strong; intense |
| 加强 | jiāqiáng | to reinforce; to strengthen; to enhance |
| 强调 | qiángdiào | to emphasize (a statement); to stress |
| 强迫 | qiǎngpò | to compel; to force |
| 增强 | zēngqiáng | to increase; to strengthen |
| 强度 | qiángdù | strength; intensity |
| 强壮 | qiángzhuàng | strong; sturdy |
| 强盗 | qiángdào | to rob (with force); bandit |
| 强化 | qiánghuà | to strengthen; to intensify |
| 顽皮 | wánpí | naughty |
Questions about 顽强
What does 顽强 mean?
顽强 (wánqiáng) means "tenacious; hard to defeat" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 顽强?
顽强 is made of 2 characters: 顽 (10 strokes), 强 (12 strokes). That is 22 strokes in total.
Is 顽强 an HSK word?
Yes. 顽强 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 顽强 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 顽强 is written 頑強.
Is 顽强 positive or negative?
顽强 is positive. It praises toughness and persistence. The related word 顽固 (wángù), stubborn or obstinate, is usually negative.
What nouns commonly go with 顽强?
Common pairings are 顽强的意志 (strong will), 顽强的生命力 (tenacious vitality), and 顽强拼搏 (fight hard). It is often used for athletes, soldiers, patients, and even plants growing in harsh places.