Resilience in Chinese
The Chinese word for resilience is 坚韧 (jiān rèn). Firm yet flexible: strength that bends but does not break. In traditional characters it is written 堅韌.
jiān rèn
Resilience
What 坚韧 means.
坚 means firm and 韧 means tough yet flexible, like a strong fibre that bends without breaking. That is very close to the English sense of resilience.
- 坚
- firm, strong
- 韧
- tough, tenacious
Simplified and traditional
坚韧
堅韌
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 堅韌 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 坚韧 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
About resilience in Chinese
How do you write resilience in Chinese?
Resilience is 坚韧 in Chinese, pronounced jiān rèn. Resilience 坚 means “firm, strong”, 韧 means “tough, tenacious”.
How do you pronounce 坚韧?
Say jiān (first tone, high and level), rèn (fourth tone, falling). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 坚韧 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 堅韌, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 坚韧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
Is 坚韧 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.