What does 強 mean in Japanese?
強 means strong, powerful, or intense in Japanese. You will encounter it constantly — in the everyday adjective 強い (strong), in the essential word 勉強する (to study), and in compounds like 強力 (powerful) and 強調 (emphasis).
For learners, the most important thing to notice early is that 強 appears inside 勉強 (study), one of the most common N5 words. Once you see this connection, you start to encounter 強 everywhere.
Reading
On’yomi: キョウ (kyou), ゴウ (gou)
Kun’yomi: つよ-い (tsuyo-i), つよ-まる (tsuyo-maru), つよ-める (tsuyo-meru), し-いる (shi-iru)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 強 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | strong, powerful, intense |
| Stroke Count | 11 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
強 can describe physical strength (強い力士), natural intensity (強い風), mental resilience (心が強い), or coercive force (強制). In compounds, the on’yomi キョウ dominates: 勉強, 強力, 強調, 強化. The reading ゴウ is less common and appears mainly in 強引 (forceful, pushy).
Common Words
- 強い（つよい / tsuyoi） — strong, powerful, tough
- 勉強（べんきょう / benkyou） — study, studying
- 強力（きょうりょく / kyouryoku） — powerful, strong
- 強調（きょうちょう / kyouchou） — emphasis, stress
- 強化（きょうか / kyouka） — strengthening, reinforcement
- 強引（ごういん / gouin） — forceful, pushy, persistent
Example Sentences
-
強い風が吹いています。
つよいかぜがふいています。 / Tsuyoi kaze ga fuite imasu.
A strong wind is blowing.
-
毎日、日本語を勉強しています。
まいにち、にほんごをべんきょうしています。 / Mainichi, Nihongo o benkyou shite imasu.
I study Japanese every day.
-
もっと強くなりたいです。
もっとつよくなりたいです。 / Motto tsuyoku naritai desu.
I want to become stronger.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
強 appears in 勉強 (study) — one of the first words you learn in Japanese — but the connection to 強 is not obvious at first. 勉強 historically carries a sense of making effort or applying oneself, which helps explain why 強 appears in the word. Once you notice this, the kanji feels far more natural.
For English speakers, the key distinction is between 強 as an adjective and 力 as a noun. 強い means ‘strong’ (a strong person, a strong wind), while 力 means ‘strength’ or ‘power’ as a noun. Keeping this distinction clear will prevent common translation mistakes.
The on’yomi キョウ is by far the most useful reading. It appears in 勉強, 強力, 強調, 強化, and many N4–N3 compounds. The kun’yomi つよい is the everyday adjective form. ゴウ is rare and mainly appears in 強引.
Summary
強 means strong, powerful, or intense, and appears in the essential word 勉強 (study) as well as compounds about strength and force.