丈夫な（じょうぶな、joubuna）
- strong

The Japanese word 丈夫な (じょうぶな) is an adjective that describes something as strong, sturdy, durable, or healthy. It implies the ability to withstand force, pressure, or the test of time. It can also refer to someone's health, indicating they are in good condition and not easily susceptible to illness. The meaning shifts slightly based on the context: for objects, it emphasizes resilience; for people, it signifies good health and strength.

⚫︎ 丈夫なテーブル Translation: A sturdy table. ⚫︎ あの人は丈夫な人だ。 Translation: That person is healthy. ⚫︎ このバッグは丈夫に作られています。 Translation: This bag is made durably.

⚫︎ 丈夫な is used to describe nouns. It modifies nouns to give additional information about the quality of the object or person. ⚫︎ It is appropriate in a variety of situations. ⚫︎ Use it when you want to highlight the strength, resilience, or good health of something or someone. ⚫︎ It can be used in both formal and informal conversations.

⚫︎ The base form of 丈夫な is 丈夫 (じょうぶ), written with the kanji 丈夫, but it is more commonly used with the adjectival suffix な to modify a noun. ⚫︎ It is typically written using the kanji 丈夫, however, hiragana じょうぶな is also correct. ⚫︎ The okurigana (suffix hiragana) is usually just な.

⚫︎ 強い (つよい) - Strong, powerful. ⚫︎ 頑丈な (がんじょうな) - Solid, robust. ⚫︎ 健康な (けんこうな) - Healthy. ⚫︎ しっかりした (しっかりした) - Firm, steady. ⚫︎ 強固な (きょうこな) - Firm, solid. These synonyms have slightly different nuances, but all convey the idea of strength or resilience.

⚫︎ 弱い (よわい) - Weak. ⚫︎ 壊れやすい (こわれやすい) - Fragile, easily broken. ⚫︎ 病弱な (びょうじゃくな) - Sickly, frail.

この傘は丈夫なので、風が強くても大丈夫です。 ・Translation: This umbrella is sturdy, so it's okay even if the wind is strong. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 丈夫な to describe the umbrella’s ability to withstand strong winds.

彼はいつも運動しているので、丈夫な体です。 ・Translation: Because he always exercises, he has a healthy body. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the person’s good health and physical strength using 丈夫な.

The kanji 丈夫 is composed of two parts: 丈(じょう), which originally meant "height" or "measure," and 夫 (ふ), which can mean "man," "husband," or "strong." Together, the kanji implies strength and reliability. The addition of the adjectival suffix な turns the noun into an adjective.