Readings: コウ (Onyomi), あらがう (Kunyomi)
Meaning: oppose, resist, defy, anti-
Semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 扌 (tehen, hand radical) signifies action or movement. The right component 亢 (kō) provides the sound and conveys a sense of stiffness, raising the neck, or being unyielding, leading to the meaning of resistance or opposition.
View JLPT N1 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 抗 has 7 strokes. It starts with the radical 扌 (tehen). First, draw the left vertical stroke, then the horizontal stroke, followed by the hooked vertical stroke. Next, for the right part 亢, draw the top horizontal stroke, then the long vertical stroke going through it, followed by the left diagonal stroke, and finally the right diagonal stroke.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 扌 (てへん) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 7 |
| JLPT Level | N1 |
| Grade | N/A (Joyo Kanji for N1) |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- コウ (KOU)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- あらがう (aragau)
Common Words Using 抗
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 抵抗 | ていこう | resistance; opposition; resistivity |
| 反抗 | はんこう | opposition; rebellion; defiance |
| 対抗 | たいこう | opposition; rivalry; competition |
| 抗議 | こうぎ | protest; remonstrance; complaint |
| 抗争 | こうそう | dispute; resistance; conflict |
| 抗体 | こうたい | antibody |
| 抗生物質 | こうせいぶっしつ | antibiotic |
| 拮抗 | きっこう | rivalry; antagonism; acting in opposition |
| 抗日 | こうにち | anti-Japanese (historical context) |
| 抗がん剤 | こうがんざい | anticancer drug |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 抗う | あらがう | to resist; to defy; to oppose |
| 抗い難い | あらがいがたい | irresistible; unyielding (less common, but direct derivative) |
| 抗し難い | こうしがたい | irresistible; hard to resist (alternate reading/form, though often written with different kanji like 堪) |
| 抗し得る | こうしうる | able to resist (less common) |
| 抗しきれない | こうしきれない | unable to resist (less common) |
| 抗し得ない | こうしえない | cannot resist (less common) |
| 抗せず | こうせず | without resisting (classical/literary negative form) |
| 抗す | こうす | to resist; to oppose (classical/literary form of 抗う) |
| 抗え | あらがえ | resist! (imperative form of 抗う) |
| 抗がった | あらがった | resisted (past tense of 抗う) |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 彼は政府の政策に抗議した。
Kana: かれはせいふのせいさくへこうぎした。
Romaji: Kare wa seifu no seisaku e kōgi shita.
English: He protested against the government’s policy.
Japanese: 免疫システムはウイルスに抵抗する。
Kana: めんえきしすてむはういるすにていこうする。
Romaji: Men’eki shisutemu wa uirusu ni teikō suru.
English: The immune system resists viruses.
Japanese: 子供は親の命令に反抗した。
Kana: こどもはおやのめいれいにはんこうした。
Romaji: Kodomo wa oya no meirei ni hankō shita.
English: The child rebelled against the parent’s order.
Japanese: その二つのチームは激しく対抗した。
Kana: そのふたつはげしくたいこうした。
Romaji: Sono futatsu no chīmu wa hageshiku taikō shita.
English: The two teams fiercely competed against each other.
Japanese: この薬は細菌に効果的に抗する。
Kana: このくすりはさいきんにこうかてきにこうする。
Romaji: Kono kusuri wa saikin ni kōkateki ni kōsuru.
English: This medicine effectively combats bacteria.
Japanese: 彼はどんな困難にも抗わず、前向きに進んだ。
Kana: かれはどんなこんなんにもあらがわず、まえむきにすすんだ。
Romaji: Kare wa donna konnan ni mo aragawazu, maemuki ni susunda.
English: He moved forward positively without resisting any difficulties.
Japanese: この地域では、昔から土地の権利を巡る抗争が絶えない。
Kana: このちいきでは、むかしからとちのけんりをめぐるこうそうがたえない。
Romaji: Kono chiiki dewa, mukashi kara tochi no kenri o meguru kōsō ga taenai.
English: In this region, conflicts over land rights have been continuous since ancient times.
Japanese: ワクチンは体内で抗体を生成する。
Kana: わくちんはたいないでこうたいをせいせいする。
Romaji: Wakuchin wa tainai de kōtai o seisei suru.
English: Vaccines produce antibodies in the body.
Japanese: 過剰なストレスは体に抗う力を低下させる。
Kana: かじょうなすとれすはからだにあらがうちからをていかさせる。
Romaji: Kajō na sutoresu wa karada ni aragau chikara o teika saseru.
English: Excessive stress reduces the body’s ability to resist.
Japanese: 彼の意見に拮抗する意見もいくつか出た。
Kana: かれのいけんにきっこうするいけんもいくつかでた。
Romaji: Kare no iken ni kikkō suru iken mo ikutsuka deta.
English: Several opinions emerged that countered his view.
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