How to Write 犟 (jiàng) — Meaning “stubborn; obstinate”

Picture a strong ox (牛) that refuses to move even when pushed. The bottom part 強 looks like a bow (弓) and some lines, so imagine the ox is so stubborn that it bends a bow with its strength.

Start with the radical 牛 as the top part, then write 強 below. The 牛 radical has a short horizontal stroke on the left side. Pay attention to the 弓 (bow) component inside 強 — it must be written with three distinct bends, not a single curve. Avoid making the top part too wide.

犟 means stubborn, while 犒 means to reward or offer a banquet. Visually, 犟 has 強 (strong) underneath, whereas 犒 has 高 (tall/high) underneath. The top part (牛) is the same, but the bottom determines the meaning: strength for stubbornness, height for a reward.

犟 is often used to describe a person's personality, like in 犟脾气 (stubborn temperament) or 犟嘴 (to talk back stubbornly). It usually has a negative tone, implying someone is unreasonably fixed in their opinion. You might hear it in everyday criticism, but it is not a formal or polite word.

Common words containing 犟 include: 犟脾气 (jiàng pí qì) — stubborn temperament; bullheadedness; 犟嘴 (jiàng zuǐ) — to talk back; to be stubborn in speech; 犟 (jiàng) — stubborn; obstinate.