硬こう質しつ

こ

う

し

つ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

hardness; stiffness; rigidity

Describes the physical property of being hard or rigid, often used in materials science, engineering, or product descriptions. Can also refer to a stiff, unyielding quality in abstract contexts.

この

プラスチック

は

硬こう

質しつ

で

割わ

れ

にくい

。

This plastic is hard and resistant to breaking.

硬こう質しつな素そ材ざいを使つかったケースを選えらんだ。

I chose a case made of rigid material.

Usage patterns

硬こう質しつな〈物もの〉a hard, rigid (material/object)
このケースは硬こう質しつなプラスチックで作つくられている。
This case is made of hard, rigid plastic.
硬こう質しつな印いん象しょうa stiff, cold impression (of a person, voice, style, etc.)
彼かれの話はなし方かたは硬こう質しつな印いん象しょうを与あたえる。
His way of speaking gives a stiff, cold impression.

Kanji

硬stiff, hard
質substance, quality, matter

Related words

硬こう度ど
硬度 is the technical, measurable term for hardness (e.g. Mohs hardness), while 硬質 is a broader descriptive term for something being hard or rigid.
硬かたいN4
硬い is the everyday adjective for 'hard' usable in almost any context, while 硬質 is a more formal noun/adjectival term often used in technical or descriptive writing about materials.

Opposites

軟なん質しつ
軟質 means 'softness/flexibility' and is used as the direct opposite of 硬質 when contrasting material properties.

Don't confuse with

硬こう直ちょく
硬質 describes an inherent hard or rigid quality of a material or thing, while 硬直 describes something becoming stiff or frozen (e.g. a body, a situation) due to tension or shock.

Word family

硬こう質しつゴム
hard rubber; ebonite; vulcanite
硬こう質しつ小こ麦むぎ
hard wheat
硬こう質しつ陶とう器き
ironstone china

Etymology

Compound of 硬 (こう, 'hard') and 質 (しつ, 'quality, nature'). The reading is on'yomi, and the word is a Sino-Japanese compound.

硬こう質しつガラス

hard glass; hardened glass