堅 — “Strict / Hard / Solid / Tough” in Japanese

Master (高手)けん, かた, -がた

Radical ⼟ · radical 32 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Strict / Hard / Solid / Tough” in Japanese is 堅, read ken, kata, gata (けん, かた, -がた). 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 堅固 (solid).

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What does 堅 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	堅
Meaning	Strict / Hard / Solid / Tough
Readings	けん, かた, -がた
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	堅固 (solid)

How to read 堅

堅 is read ken (けん) or kata (かた) or gata (-がた) depending on the word.

Words with 堅

堅固

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Kanji read the same way as 堅

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

Updated: 2026-08-28