したたか

し

た

か

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person or attitude that is resilient, unyielding, or shrewdly persistent. Often carries a nuance of being hard to beat or not easily swayed.

彼かれはしたたかな交こう渉しょう相あい手てだ。
He is a tough negotiator.
あの選せん手しゅはしたたかで、簡かん単たんには負まけない。
That player is tenacious and won't lose easily.

adverb

severely; heavily; hard; a great deal

usually written using kana alone

Adverbial use meaning to do something intensely, heavily, or to a great degree. Often used with verbs like 飲む (drink) or やる (do).

昨さく夜やはしたたか飲のんだ。
I drank heavily last night.
彼かれはしたたかやられたようだ。
He seems to have been beaten badly.

See all 9 example sentences ›

Kanji

強strong
健healthy, health, strength

Related words

しぶとい
しぶとい emphasizes stubborn persistence, often with a negative nuance of being annoyingly tenacious. したたか can imply shrewdness or toughness in a more neutral or even positive sense.
たくましい
たくましい means physically or mentally robust and vigorous. したたか focuses more on mental resilience and craftiness.

Written forms

したたかUsage95%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 強か and 健か are rare.
強したたかUsage4%
Rare kanji form; the kana spelling is strongly preferred.
健したたかUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; the kana spelling is strongly preferred.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The word is native Japanese, and the kanji 強 and 健 are applied for their meanings, but the kana spelling is standard.