硬い
かたい
hard (object)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Examples
このパンは硬いです。
このぱんはかたいです。
This bread is hard.
硬い肉は食べにくいです。
かたいにくはたべにくいです。
Tough meat is hard to eat.
この鉛筆は芯が硬くて書きにくい。
このえんぴつはしんがかたくてかきにくい。
This pencil has a hard lead and is hard to write with.
彼の話し方は少し硬いですね。
かれのはなしかたはすこしかたいですね。
His way of speaking is a little stiff.
Common patterns
- 硬い石
- hard stone
- 硬い表情
- a stiff expression
- 硬い文章
- formal, stiff writing
Often confused with
Memory tip
Three kanji share the reading かたい. 硬い is about material hardness — stone, metal, tough bread — and by extension a stiff, formal style. 固い is about things being fixed or tight, and 堅い about being solid and reliable.
Kanji in this word
Quick check
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What does 硬い mean?