Translation guide
The English word 'hard' covers many meanings: physical firmness, difficulty, intensity, and more. Japanese uses different words for each. This guide helps you choose the right one.
Describing something physically firm, solid, or resistant to pressure.
General word for 'hard' as in firm, stiff, or solid. Used for materials, food, muscles, etc.
This bread is hard.
Sleeping on a hard bed makes my back hurt.
Often used for things that are firm, tight, or solid in a structural sense, like a firm handshake or a tight knot. Overlaps with 硬い.
Used for things that are solid, sturdy, or reliable, often in abstract or figurative contexts (e.g., a solid reputation). Less common for physical hardness.
Describing something that requires great effort or is not easy.
Describing something done with great force, intensity, or severity.
Describing a person, rule, or condition that is severe or uncompromising.
Describing water with high mineral content or strong alcoholic drinks.
The specific term for 'hard water'.
Describing something physical or tangible, as opposed to digital or soft.
All read かたい. 硬い is for physical hardness (hard bread, hard material). 固い is for firmness, tightness, or solidity (firm handshake, tight knot). 堅い is for reliability, solidity in abstract sense (solid business, stiff expression). In many cases 硬い and 固い are interchangeable, but 堅い is more limited.
The loanword ハード (hādo) is used for 'hard' in contexts like hardware, hard disk, or hard schedule, but not for 'difficult'. Saying このテストはハードだ sounds unnatural; use 難しい instead.
Exchange a firm handshake.
This knot is tight.
He runs a solid business.
The most common word for 'difficult' or 'hard' in the sense of challenging.
This problem is hard.
Learning Japanese is hard.
Means 'tough' or 'hard' in the sense of demanding or strenuous. Often used for tasks or situations.
A more formal or written word for 'difficult' or 'hard', often used for serious challenges.
We are facing a hard situation.
Used for intense, violent, or severe actions, such as hard rain, hard work, or a hard hit.
It's raining hard.
He trains hard.
Adverbial form of 'strong', used for hitting hard, pressing hard, etc.
I hit the ball hard.
Please push hard.
Means 'with all one's might' or 'very hard', used for working hard, studying hard, etc.
He works hard.
Adverb meaning 'firmly', 'tightly', or 'properly'. Used for holding hard, gripping hard, or doing something thoroughly.
Hold on hard.
Please think hard about it.
Common word for strict, harsh, or severe. Used for teachers, rules, criticism, etc.
Means emotionally or physically hard to bear, painful, tough. Used for hard times, hard life, etc.
Life can be hard sometimes.
It was hard to say goodbye.
The water in this area is hard.
Literally 'strong alcohol', used for hard liquor.
He likes hard liquor.
Loanword from English 'hard liquor', understood but less common.
I'm not good with hard liquor.
Loanword for 'hard copy', widely used in business/tech contexts.
Please give me a hard copy.
Means 'solid evidence' or 'hard evidence'. 確固たる means firm or solid.
We need hard evidence.
I studied hard.