Mnemonic
An old piece of rock is shoved into your mouth. You bite down hard, and over time your jaw begins to harden. The mouth clenches around that old stone until everything — teeth, gums, bone — becomes rigid and unyielding.
Additional thoughts
The kanji structure mirrors the image: the mouth radical (囗) encloses old (古), like a mouth clamping around an ancient stone. Repeated pressure solidifies everything inside.Quick recall
An old rock clamped in your mouth forces your jaw to harden.Details
The keyword for 固 is harden. This kanji conveys the idea of making something firm, solid, or rigid, both in a physical and metaphorical sense. It can describe the process of solidifying a substance, as well as the notion of being stubborn, steadfast, or unyielding in one's resolve. The character broadly encompasses the concepts of firmness, solidity, and fixedness.
- On'yomi
- こ
- Kun'yomi
- かた.める、かた.まる、かた.まり、かた.い