頑
stubborn, foolish, firmly
Readings
On'yomi
- ガン
Kun'yomi
- かたく.な
Meaning
頑 centers on an unyielding quality: stubbornness, foolish obstinacy, or holding firmly to a position or state.
Most common words using 頑
20 of 31- 頑張るがんばるN5
to persevere; to persist; to keep at it; to hang on; to hold out; to do one's best
- 頑丈がんじょうN2
solid; firm; stout; burly; strong; sturdy
- 頑固がんこN2
stubborn; obstinate; pigheaded
- 頑なかたくな
obstinate; stubborn; mulish; die-hard; bigoted
- 頑強がんきょう
stubborn; dogged; persistent; tenacious
- 頑健がんけん
robust; fit and healthy; strong; sturdy
- 頑としてがんとして
stubbornly; firmly; determinedly; obstinately; resolutely; adamantly
- 頑迷がんめい
bigoted; obstinate; stubborn; pigheaded
- 頑張ってがんばって
do your best; go for it; hang in there; keep at it
- 頑張りがんばり
tenacity; endurance
- もうひと頑張りもうひとがんばり
an extra effort; going the extra mile; one final push
- 固陋頑迷ころうがんめい
obstinate; stubborn; hard-headed; pigheaded; incapable of making sound judgements because of a narrow, inflexible and obstinate mentality
- 強情頑固ごうじょうがんこ
headstrong; obstinate; bullheaded
- 頑健無比がんけんむひ
being of very robust health
- 頑冥不霊がんめいふれい
stubborn and ignorant
- 頑固一徹がんこいってつ
stubborn; obstinate; adamant; immovable
- 頑固者がんこもの
stubborn person; obstinate person; pig-headed person
- 頑固親父がんこおやじ
stubborn (obstinate) father; pig-headed old man
- 頑張りズムがんばりズム
attitude that one must keep going no matter what
- 頑張り屋がんばりや
hard worker; person who perseveres; person who doesn't give up; eager beaver; bitter-ender
Study
Etymology
頑 combines 元 (origin, head) with 頁 (head, page), suggesting a hard-headed or stubborn quality. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the component combination fits the meaning of obstinacy.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 元 suggests a person's head, and the right side 頁 is also a head. Picture two hard heads butting against each other, refusing to give way: that's stubbornness.
Reading mnemonic
For ガン, imagine a stubborn gun that refuses to fire unless you hold it firmly: gun -> ガン, and the gun's obstinacy matches the kanji's meaning.