Stay Strong in Chinese
The Chinese word for stay strong is 坚强 (jiān qiáng). Firm and strong: the word people say to encourage each other. In traditional characters it is written 堅強.
jiān qiáng
Stay Strong
What 坚强 means.
坚 is firm and 强 is strong. 要坚强 (“stay strong”) is what Chinese friends say to each other in hard times, and 坚强 is the quality of not breaking under them.
- 坚
- firm, solid
- 强
- strong
Simplified and traditional
坚强
堅強
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 堅強 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 坚强 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
About stay strong in Chinese
How do you write stay strong in Chinese?
Stay Strong is 坚强 in Chinese, pronounced jiān qiáng. Strong, staying strong 坚 means “firm, solid”, 强 means “strong”.
How do you pronounce 坚强?
Say jiān (first tone, high and level), qiáng (second tone, rising). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 坚强 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 堅強, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 坚强 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
Is 坚强 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.