手強い

• Reading: てごわい
• Romaji: tegowai
• Kanji breakdown: 手 (te) — hand, dealing with; 強い (tsuyoi/gowai) — strong, unyielding
• Pronunciation: /te.ɡo.wa.i/

Meaning

Tough; formidable; hard to beat; stubborn. Describes an opponent, task, or problem that resists easy resolution and demands serious effort.

An i-adjective combining 手 (te, hand, dealing with) and 強い (tsuyoi, strong). The reading ごわい (gowai) gives it a heavier, more resistant quality than 強い alone. Used in sports, negotiations, and challenges of all kinds to describe something that puts up formidable resistance. The adverbial form 手強く (tegowaku) means 'formidably.'

Examples

1. 準決勝の相手は想像以上に手強く、格の違いを見せつけられた。 Their semifinal opponent proved far more formidable than expected and showed them up completely.
2. 交渉相手が手強い場合は、根気よく話し合いを続けるしかない。 When a negotiating counterpart is tough, there is nothing for it but to persist patiently.
3. あの弁護士は評判通り手強い相手で、こちらは苦戦を強いられた。 That lawyer lived up to his reputation as a formidable adversary, and we were forced into a tough fight.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, business, negotiation, competition

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 手 (te, hand, the act of handling) and 強い (tsuyoi/kowai, strong, powerful). The specific reading ごわい (gowai) was applied to describe a stiff, unyielding quality—like a tough material that resists bending.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal