固(かた)い

かたい
i-adjective
firm, solid, tight; stiff, rigid; strict
descriptive
See also: 硬(かた)い (hard, stiff (硬)), 堅(かた)い (solid, reliable (堅))
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present固(かた)い固(かた)くない
Past固(かた)かった固(かた)くなかった
て form固(かた)くて固(かた)くなくて
Adverbial固(かた)く—
Conditional ば固(かた)ければ固(かた)くなければ
Conditional たら固(かた)かったら固(かた)くなかったら
1. firm, solid, tight, secure
Firmly held together or fastened, not easily moved, loosened, or broken apart. Used for physical tightness (lids, knots, handshakes) and abstract firmness (resolve, bonds).
ふたが固(かた)くて開(あ)かない。
The lid is so tight that it won't open.
彼(かれ)の決意(けつい)は固(かた)い。
His resolve is firm.
二人(ふたり)は固(かた)い握手(あくしゅ)を交(か)わして別(わか)れた。
The two exchanged a firm handshake and parted ways.
2. stiff, formal, rigid, uptight
Overly formal, tense, or inflexible in manner or thinking. Used to describe people, writing styles, or atmospheres that lack ease or flexibility.
そんなに固(かた)いことを言(い)うな。
Don't be so uptight about it.
彼(かれ)は頭(あたま)が固(かた)くて新(あたら)しいやり方(かた)を受(う)け入(い)れない。
He's rigid in his thinking and won't accept new approaches.
初対面(しょたいめん)で緊張(きんちょう)して表情(ひょうじょう)が固(かた)くなってしまった。
I got nervous meeting them for the first time and my expression became stiff.

Usage

Japanese has three かたい kanji: 固(かた)い (firm, tight, unyielding), 硬(かた)い (physically hard, rigid), and 堅(かた)い (solid, reliable, steady). In practice these overlap significantly and are often written in kana. 固(かた)い is the most versatile, covering both physical firmness and figurative stiffness.

Common collocations

Related Words

Compare: 硬(かた)い (Physically hard or rigid (materials, texture))
Related: 固(かた)める (to harden, to strengthen)
general
Added 2026.2.20 13:53 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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