刚 (gāng) is a Chinese character meaning “just now”. It is written from 冈 (ridge of a hill) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “just now”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
冈 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 剛，彊斷也。从刀，岡聲（简化字形 刚 = 冈 + 刂）
Memory aid
A ridge of rock (冈) with a blade (刂) at its side — the two parts really in this character. Rock and steel: hard, firm, unbending.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 刚才gāng cáijust now; a moment ago刚 = gāngHSK 2
- 刚刚gāng gāngjust; only a moment ago; exactly刚 = gāngHSK 3
Go deeper
All readings
just now; firm
just now; a moment ago; barely; exactly; hard, firm, unyielding
表示行为发生在不久之前，或程度不多不少恰好；也指坚硬、坚强。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刚才gāng cáijust now; a moment ago刚 = gāngHSK 2
- 刚刚gāng gāngjust; only a moment ago; exactly刚 = gāngHSK 3
Sound component
冈 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 刚 mean?
刚 (gāng) means just now; a moment ago; barely; exactly; hard, firm, unyielding.
How do you pronounce 刚?
It is pronounced gāng.
What parts is 刚 made of?
冈 (ridge of a hill) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 剛，彊斷也。从刀，岡聲（简化字形 刚 = 冈 + 刂）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 刚 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 刚?
刀. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 刚?
Common ones are 刚才 and 刚刚. The reading of 刚 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.