The kanji 剛 primarily represents strength, firmness, and rigidity, both physically and metaphorically. It signifies something that is unyielding, strong-willed, and resolute. This can apply to objects, physical attributes, or character traits.

・On-yomi (音読み): ゴウ (gō) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, or rarely used as a standalone verb.

⚫︎ 剛力 (ごうりき) Translation: Great strength; Herculean strength. ⚫︎ 剛健 (ごうけん) Translation: Robust; strong and healthy. ⚫︎ 剛直 (ごうちょく) Translation: Upright; honest; firm; rigid (in character).

The kanji 剛 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. The left side is a radical called 刂 (りっとう, rittō), which is a variation of 刀 (かたな, katana), meaning "sword" or "blade." The right side is 岡 (おか, oka), meaning "hill" or "ridge." The original meaning likely related to the sharpness and strength of a sword. The combination suggests something that is as strong and unyielding as a blade, highlighting its firm quality and the idea of "firm" or "strong". Over time, its meaning broadened to encompass a general sense of firmness and strength in various contexts.