Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 な 性せい 格かく a robust, manly character
My grandfather has a robust character and used to do judo when he was young.
剛ごう 健けん な 精せい 神しん a strong, unyielding spirit
This school's educational goal is to cultivate a strong, unyielding spirit.
剛ごう 健けん に 育そだ つ to grow up strong and healthy
Growing up amid the countryside's nature, he became strong and robust.
Kanji 健 healthy, health, strength Related words 頑健 emphasizes physical toughness and resistance to illness or damage, while 剛健 adds a nuance of mental fortitude and virility.
たくましい is a common, everyday word for physical sturdiness and resilience, whereas 剛健 is formal and often implies moral as well as physical strength.
頑丈 usually describes the physical sturdiness of a body or object, while 剛健 is reserved for a person's character and carries a nuance of moral strength.
剛健 is a two-character compound meaning sturdy and robust, commonly describing physique or character, whereas 剛 alone is rarer and more abstract in modern speech.
Opposites 柔弱 describes someone weak, frail, or effeminate, the direct opposite of the vigorous, robust strength conveyed by 剛健 .
Written forms 剛ごう 健けん Usage 98%
Standard kanji form; commonly used in formal and literary contexts.
ごうけん Usage 2%
Etymology Compound of 剛 (strong, firm) and 健 (healthy, robust). The combination conveys both physical and mental strength.
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