How to Write 亢 (kàng) — Meaning “high; excessive; arrogant”

Imagine a person standing on a small stool (几) with a lid (亠) on their head, feeling too high and proud. This visual of being elevated and overconfident can help you recall that 亢 means 'arrogant' or 'excessive'.

The first stroke is a horizontal line (一) that is slightly longer than the top of the 'table' below. The third stroke is a vertical hook, and be careful not to make the last stroke (curved hook) too wide—it should stay balanced under the top lid.

亠 is just the radical (a lid) and never stands alone as a complete character, while 亢 is a full character with a distinct shape. 亡 (wáng, 'perish') has a horizontal line on top followed by a vertical fold and a final horizontal stroke, whereas 亢 has a table-like component (几) below the lid.

亢 appears in words like 亢奋 (kàng fèn) meaning 'excited' or 'stimulated' and 高亢 (gāo kàng) describing a loud, resonant voice. It also appears in the idiom 不卑不亢 (bù bēi bù kàng), which describes someone who is neither humble nor arrogant—a valued attitude in Chinese social interactions.

Common words containing 亢 include: 亢奋 (kàng fèn) — excited; stimulated; 高亢 (gāo kàng) — resonant; high-pitched; 不卑不亢 (bù bēi bù kàng) — neither servile nor overbearing; showing self-respect.