坚 (jiān) is a Chinese character meaning “hard”. It is written from 臤 (firm; hard — a hand (又) holding fast) and 土 (earth; soil), one above the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “firm; solid; unyielding”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
臤 + 土
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字 臤部：堅，剛也。从臤从土。现代简化字形按 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：前四笔为简化的「臤」（臣缩写成两竖 + 又），后三笔为「土」
Memory aid
臤 — a hand gripping something and not letting go — presses down on 土, the earth. Ground packed that hard doesn't give: 坚 is firm, solid, unyielding.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 坚持jiān chíto persist; to insist on; to keep on坚 = jiān
- 坚韧jiān rèntough and tenacious; resilient坚 = jiān
- 坚贞jiān zhēnfirm and unyielding坚 = jiān
Go deeper
All readings
firm; solid
hard; solid; firm; unshakable; to stand firm
结实、硬；不容易被攻破或改变；态度或意志不动摇。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 坚持jiān chíto persist; to insist on; to keep on坚 = jiān
- 坚韧jiān rèntough and tenacious; resilient坚 = jiān
- 坚贞jiān zhēnfirm and unyielding坚 = jiān
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 坚 mean?
坚 (jiān) means hard; solid; firm; unshakable; to stand firm.
How do you pronounce 坚?
It is pronounced jiān.
What parts is 坚 made of?
臤 (firm; hard — a hand (又) holding fast) and 土 (earth; soil), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字 臤部：堅，剛也。从臤从土。现代简化字形按 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：前四笔为简化的「臤」（臣缩写成两竖 + 又），后三笔为「土」. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 坚 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 坚?
土. 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 坚?
Common ones are 坚持 and 坚韧. The reading of 坚 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.