狠
hěn · HSK 6
very
🐺 Dog radical + stubborn 艮 = fiercely stubborn as a wild dog
犭 means dog, 艮 means tough or unyielding. Together: the fierce, relentless nature of a wild canine. Also sounds like hen — even barnyard birds can be fierce.
狠 — dog radical 犭 + 艮 (gèn, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 犭 (dog) suggests fierce, animal-like behavior, while 艮 supplies the sound. Originally described a dog's vicious or stubborn nature, later extended to humans meaning 'ruthless,' 'cruel,' or by extension 'severe' and 'firm.'