The kanji 固 generally conveys the meaning of "firm," "hard," "solid," "fixed," or "stable." It suggests something that is not easily changed, moved, or broken. It can refer to physical objects, abstract concepts, or even personality traits.

・On-yomi (音読み): コ (ko) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): かた (kata - as in 固い (katai: hard, firm)), かた-める (kata-meru - to harden, to solidify), かた-まる (kata-maru - to become firm)

⚫︎固定 (kotei) Translation: Fix, fixing, to fix, to secure. ⚫︎固体 (kotai) Translation: Solid (state of matter). ⚫︎頑固 (ganko) Translation: Stubborn, obstinate, headstrong.

The kanji 固 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. The phonetic component is 固 (ko), and the semantic component is 囗 which represents an enclosure, or a boundary. The original meaning relates to the idea of something being firm and enclosed or protected. The "enclosure" part contributes to the meaning of "firm" or "fixed" because something enclosed is secure and cannot be easily changed or moved.