剛

See also: 刚

剛	U+525B, 剛 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-525B

← 剚

CJK Unified Ideographs

剜 →

Translingual

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 141, character 11
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 2042
Dae Jaweon: page 320, character 17
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 344, character 10
Unihan data for U+525B

Chinese

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (岡) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
岡	*klaːŋ
崗	*klaːŋ
剛	*klaːŋ
掆	klaːŋ, klaːŋs
鋼	klaːŋ, klaːŋs
綱	*klaːŋ
犅	*klaːŋ
堈	*klaːŋ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *klaːŋ) : phonetic 岡 (OC *klaːŋ) + semantic 刀 (“knife”).

Etymology 1

trad.		剛
simp.		刚

Along with 鋼 (OC *klaːŋ, *klaːŋs, “steel”), derived from the terminative of 固 (OC *kaːs, “firm, solid, hard”), literally "having become solid, hard" (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): gāng (gang¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄤ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): gang¹
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gong¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): gong¹
Gan (Wiktionary): gong¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kông

(Meixian, Guangdong): gong¹
Jin (Wiktionary): gon¹
Northern Min (KCR): gó̤ng
Eastern Min (BUC): gŏng
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): kong / kang

(Teochew, Peng'im): gang¹
Wu (Wugniu)
- (Northern): ¹kaon
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): gan¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gāng
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄤ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gang
  - Wade–Giles: kang¹
  - Yale: gāng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gang
  - Palladius: ган (gan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɑŋ⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: gang¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gong¹
  - Yale: gōng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gong¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːŋ⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kông
  - Hakka Romanization System: gong´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA: /koŋ²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA: /kɔŋ⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: gon¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /kɒ̃¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gó̤ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ⁵⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gŏng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kouŋ⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kong
  - Tâi-lô: kong
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kofng
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kɔŋ³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kɔŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kang
  - Tâi-lô: kang
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kafng
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kaŋ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kaŋ³³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: gang¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ³³/
Wu
- (Shanghai):
  - Wugniu: ¹kaon
  - MiniDict: kaon^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹kaan
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kɑ̃⁵³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: gan¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kan³³/

Middle Chinese: kang

Rime
Character	剛
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	唐 (101)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古郎切
Baxter	kang
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɑŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/kɑŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/kɑŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kaŋ/
Li Rong	/kɑŋ/
Wang Li	/kɑŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/kɑŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gāng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gong¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*kˤaŋ/

(Zhengzhang): /*klaːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	剛
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gāng
Middle Chinese	‹ kang ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁaŋ/
English	strong; hard
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be -t or -p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	剛
Reading #	1/1
No.	3713
Phonetic component	岡
Rime group	陽
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	岡
Old Chinese	/*klaːŋ/

Definitions

剛

firm; hard; stiff
strong
他的性格是剛與柔的結合。 [MSC, trad.]
他的性格是刚与柔的结合。 [MSC, simp.]
Tā de xìnggé shì gāng yǔ róu de jiéhé.
His character is a combination of strength and kindness.
a surname

Compounds

Etymology 2

trad.		剛
simp.		刚
alternative forms		將／将 dialectal

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): gāng, jiāng (gang¹, jiang¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄤ, ㄐㄧㄤ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): jiang¹
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gong¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): gong¹
Gan (Wiktionary): jiong¹
Hakka (Meixian, Guangdong): gong¹
Jin (Wiktionary): jion¹ / gon¹
Eastern Min (BUC): gŏng
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): kong / kang

(Teochew, Peng'im): gang¹
Wu (Wugniu)
- (Northern): ¹kaon; ¹cian
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): jian¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gāng
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄤ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gang
  - Wade–Giles: kang¹
  - Yale: gāng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gang
  - Palladius: ган (gan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɑŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, colloquial variant)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jiāng
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄤ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jiang
  - Wade–Giles: chiang¹
  - Yale: jyāng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiang
  - Palladius: цзян (czjan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: jiang¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: giang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiaŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gong¹
  - Yale: gōng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gong¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːŋ⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: jiong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiɔŋ⁴²/
Hakka
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA: /kɔŋ⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jion¹ / gon¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕiɒ̃¹¹/, /kɒ̃¹¹/

Note: jion1 - colloquial.

Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gŏng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kouŋ⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kong
  - Tâi-lô: kong
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kofng
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kɔŋ³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kɔŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kang
  - Tâi-lô: kang
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kafng
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kaŋ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kaŋ³³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: gang¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ³³/
Wu
- (Shanghai):
  - Wugniu: ¹kaon; ¹cian
  - MiniDict: kaon^平; cian^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹kaan; ¹jian
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kɑ̃⁵³/, /t͡ɕiã⁵³/

Note: 1jian - colloquial (dated).

Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: jian¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯æn³³/

Definitions

剛

just; exactly
剛好／刚好 ― gānghǎo ― just, exactly
only a short while ago; just
剛才／刚才 ― gāngcái ― just now; a moment ago

剛剛／刚刚 ― gānggāng ― just now; only

他剛回來。／他刚回来。 ― Tā gāng huílái. ― He has just came back.
barely; just
一個月 1000 元的工資，剛夠他吃飯。 [MSC, trad.]
一个月 1000 元的工资，刚够他吃饭。 [MSC, simp.]
Yī ge yuè 1000 yuán de gōngzī, gāng gòu tā chīfàn.
He earns 1000 yuan a month, barely enough for food.
as soon as; only at this moment
他剛做完工作，鈴就響了 [MSC, trad.]
他刚做完工作，铃就响了 [MSC, simp.]
tā gāng zuòwán gōngzuò, líng jiù xiǎng le
The moment he finished his work, the bell rang.

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 剛才 (“just now”)

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		剛才, 方才, 適才, 剛剛, 剛
Mandarin	Beijing	剛才, 才剛
	Taiwan	剛才, 剛剛, 剛
	Harbin	才剛兒, 頭先, 頭前兒
	Yantai (Muping)	剛打剛兒, 剛剛兒
	Jinan	剛才, 剛剛的
	Luoyang	才剛, 才剛剛兒
	Wanrong	剛剛
	Xi'an	剛才
	Yinchuan	剛才, 才剛
	Xining	才才
	Ürümqi	剛才, 剛剛, 剛, 剛頭兒
	Wuhan	才剛, 剛才, 才一路, 才路, 一路
	Chengdu	才剛, 剛才, 剛剛, 剛, 先頭
	Liuzhou	頭先, 啱先
	Yangzhou	剛才, 才剛, 剛剛, 剛
	Nanjing	剛才, 才剛, 剛剛
	Hefei	剛才
	Malaysia	剛才
	Singapore	剛才, 剛剛, 剛
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	才剛
Cantonese	Guangzhou	頭先, 求先, 啱先, 啱啱, 先頭, 正話, 疇先
	Hong Kong	頭先, 求先, 啱先, 啱啱, 先頭, 正話
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	正就
	Macau	頭先
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	頭先, 啱啱, 啱先, 正話
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	啱啱
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	啱啱
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	頭先
	Foshan	剛啱, 舊家
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	舊先
	Foshan (Shunde)	頭先
	Foshan (Sanshui)	啱啱
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	啱青
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	頭先
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	頭先
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	頭先
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	頭先
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	頭先
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	頭先
	Taishan	頭先, 正話
	Kaiping (Chikan)	頭先
	Enping (Niujiang)	頭先
	Heshan (Yayao)	啱啱
	Dongguan	蚊蚊, 啱先, 啱啱
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	頭先
	Yangjiang	頭先, 啱先
	Nanning	啱先
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	啱啱, 正話
	Singapore (Guangfu)	頭先, 啱啱
Gan	Nanchang	剛腳, 一腳
Gan	Lichuan	剛腳
Hakka	Meixian	頭先, 啱先, 啱啱
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	先頭, 頭先
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	正先
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	正先
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	早先
	Wengyuan	頭先
	Liannan	正先
	Conghua (Lütian)	啱啱
	Jiexi	早回
	Changting	頭先
	Wuping (Yanqian)	頭間
	Ninghua	正
	Ningdu	當頭
	Tonggu (Sandu)	正
	Dayu	剛正哩
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	頭先, 頭下
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	頭先, 頭下
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	頭先, 頭下
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	頭先, 頭下
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	頭先, 頭下
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	頭先, 頭下
	Hong Kong	頭先
	Mengshan (Xihe)	啱
	Luchuan	啱先
	Senai (Huiyang)	正先
Huizhou	Jixi	剛才, 剛剛, 剛之
Jin	Taiyuan	剛才, 剛剛
Northern Min	Jian'ou	頃先, 頃, 頃頃
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	頭先, 頭先早, 連眼, 連刻, 矢文
Southern Min	Xiamen	頭先, 拄仔, 拄拄, 拄拄仔, 拄才, 拄仔才, 頭拄仔, 拄
	Quanzhou	頭先, 拄仔, 拄拄, 拄拄仔, 拄才, 拄仔才, 頭拄仔, 頭站仔, 拄
	Zhangzhou	頭先, 拄仔, 拄拄, 拄拄仔, 拄才, 拄仔才, 頭拄仔, 前拄仔, 盡拄仔, 拄
	Kaohsiung	拄才
	Yilan	拄才
	Changhua (Lukang)	拄才
	Taichung	拄拄仔
	Taichung (Wuqi)	拄仔才
	Tainan	頭陣仔
	Taitung	頭拄仔
	Hsinchu	拄仔
	Penghu (Magong)	拄才
	Penang (Hokkien)	麻汝, 耽仔
	Singapore (Hokkien)	麻汝, 頭先, 頭早
	Manila (Hokkien)	站仔, 頭站仔
	Chaozhou	頭陣, 同早, 同旰
	Shantou	剛才
	Jieyang	同早, 同旰, 頭先, 同陣, 頭陣, 自早
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	同旰
	Singapore (Teochew)	麻汝, 頭先, 同早
	Leizhou	當奉囝
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	頭先, 開頭, 啱啱, 啱先
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	啱先, 頭先, 幾早, 頭幾早
Wu	Shanghai	剛剛, 剛, 剛正, 開開 dated, 客客 dated, 方才 dated
	Suzhou	剛剛, 剛剛頭, 剛巧
	Danyang	剛才, 剛剛
	Hangzhou	剛剛
	Ningbo	剛剛
	Wenzhou	頭前, 頭先, 頭兒
Xiang	Changsha	剛才, 才剛, 嚴剛
	Loudi	剛剛
	Shuangfeng	當好, 才當