剛 — “Sturdy / Strength” in Japanese

Master (高手)ごう

Radical ⼑ · radical 18 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Sturdy / Strength” in Japanese is 剛, read gou (ごう). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 剛健 (robust).

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What does 剛 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	剛
Meaning	Sturdy / Strength
Readings	ごう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	剛健 (robust)

How to read 剛

剛 is read gou (ごう) depending on the word.

Words with 剛

剛健

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Kanji read the same way as 剛

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28