How to Write 抗 (kàng) — Meaning “to resist; to fight against”

Imagine you are using your hand (扌) to push away a stubborn person who stands with arms raised high (亢 looks like a figure with arms up). The right side 亢 is like a person being stiff and unyielding, and you actively resist them with your hand. This visual story helps you link the shape to the meaning of "to resist."

Pay attention to the stroke order: first write the hand radical 扌 (horizontal, vertical hook, lift), then the right part 亢 (dot, horizontal, left-falling, horizontal hook). The horizontal hook in 亢 should curve slightly to the right, and keep the left-falling stroke shorter so the character stays balanced. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the hook stroke.

抗 means "to resist" or "to protest," while 扑 (pū) means "to pounce" or "to slap" — a more aggressive action. Visually, 抗 has the complex right part 亢 (four strokes), whereas 扑 has the simple right part 卜 (two strokes). 㧜 is a rare character with a different right component (罒 or similar) and is not used in modern Chinese, so focus on distinguishing 抗 from 扑 by remembering that 抗 involves pushing away (resisting) and 扑 involves hitting (attacking).

You will often see 抗 in formal words like 抗议 (to protest), 抵抗 (to resist), and 对抗 (to oppose or confront). It appears in news about political protests or military resistance, and it is a key character in historical phrases such as 抗日战争 (the War of Resistance against Japan). Using 抗 implies a determined, active stance against something rather than just passive avoidance.

Common words containing 抗 include: 抗议 (kàng yì) — to protest; 抵抗 (dǐ kàng) — to resist; 对抗 (duì kàng) — To resist / To oppose / Confrontation.