strict, hard, solid, tough, tight, reliable
堅 centers on firmness and unyielding strength: something physically hard or solid, a strict or tight situation, and a reliable person who is tough and steadfast.
堅 combines 臤 (a phonetic component with a sense of pulling tight or firm) and 土 (earth), suggesting earth that is packed hard and solid.
The top 臤 looks like a hand pulling something tight, and the bottom 土 is earth. Imagine pulling a rope tight around a block of hard-packed earth: the result is solid, strict, and reliable.
For ケン, picture a solid, tough Ken doll made of hard plastic: Ken -> ケン, and he stands firm and reliable on the ground.
nucleus; backbone; mainstay; key figure
strength; solidity; firmness
steady; sound; stable; safe (e.g. business); reliable; trustworthy; solid
formal; stiff; strict; ceremonious
solid; strong; firm
solid; strong; sturdy; durable; stout
sound; sure; safe; secure; trustworthy; reliable; solid
adhering to (a view, policy, etc.); sticking to; holding fast to; steadfastly maintaining
straight-laced person; stubborn person
firm (market); bullish
honest; respectable; decent
strong defense; strong defence
possessed of a strong sense of duty
stable (market) after having bottomed out
prudish; strait-laced; boring; square
medium-sized enterprise (business, firm)
center fielder; centre fielder
tight-lipped; able to keep a secret
tight-lipped; able to keep a secret
discreet; tight-lipped