hard

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 硬 has 12 strokes and concerns the hardness or stiffness of an object.
• Basic usage: 硬い is read かたい, and 硬貨 is read こうか.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Hardness and coins
  • 硬くなった means became hard.
  • Before なった, which expresses a change, 硬い becomes 硬く.
  • The 硬 in 硬貨 is read こう.
  • 百円硬貨を二枚 means two 100-yen coins.
  • 枚 is used to count coins.