Japanese symbol for “toughness”
剛
ごう
Romaji: gou
strength; toughness; bravery; boldness
In Japanese, toughness is 剛, read ごう (gou).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-no, n strength; toughness; bravery; boldness
Written forms: 剛、豪. Readings: ごう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “toughness”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 靱性 | じんせい jinsei | toughness (of a material); tenacity; fracture toughness |
| 歯ごたえ | はごたえ hagotae | challenge (e.g. work, book); toughness |
| タフネス | タフネス tafunesu | toughness |
| 世間擦れ | せけんずれ sekenzure | worldly wise; sophisticated; street smart |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 剛健 | ごうけん gouken | vigour; vigor; virility |
| 剛毅 | ごうき gouki | fortitude; firmness of character; sturdiness |
| 剛性 | ごうせい gousei | stiffness; rigidity |
| 剛毛 | ごうもう goumou | bristle; seta; stiff hair |
| 剛体 | ごうたい goutai | rigid body |
| 金剛力士 | こんごうりきし kongourikishi | Deva king (guardian god at a temple gate, holding a vajra); Vajrapani |
See also: Chinese symbol for “toughness”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.