狠

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ruthless; fierce; ferocious; determined; resolute; to harden (one's heart); old variant of 很[hen3]

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

犭 meaning “dog” + 艮 sound ( gèn )

Components 犭艮

ruthless · Heisig RSH #2506

pack of wild dogs + silver

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
下狠心	xià hěn xīn	to resolve (to do sth); to toughen up
狠巴巴	hěn bā bā	very fierce
心狠手辣	xīn hěn shǒu là	(idiom) vicious; merciless
狠心	hěn xīn	callous; heartless; to resolve (to do sth); firm resolve (as in 下狠心[xia4 hen3 xin1])
狠命	hěn mìng	exerting all one's strength
狠毒	hěn dú	vicious; malicious; savage
恶狠	è hěn	fierce and vicious
狠绝	hěn jué	ruthless
算你狠	suàn nǐ hěn	you got me!; you win!; you are something!
狠劲	hěn jìn	to exert all one's force; all-out effort; CL:股[gu3]
恶狠狠	è hěn hěn	very fierce
凶狠	xiōng hěn	variant of 凶狠[xiong1 hen3]
凶狠	xiōng hěn	cruel; vicious; fierce and malicious; vengeful
狠狠	hěn hěn	resolutely; firmly; ferociously; ruthlessly

Characters sharing the sound component 艮 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
艮 sound part	gèn	blunt; tough, chewy
眼	yǎn	eyelet, hole, opening
根	gēn	root, basis, foundation
银	yín	silver; cash, money, wealth
退	tuì	to retreat, to step back, to withdraw
限	xiàn	boundary, limit, line
恨	hèn	to dislike, to hate, to resent
跟	gēn	heel; to accompany, to follow; with
痕	hén	scar, mark; vestige, trace
龈	yín	gums
垦	kěn	to cultivate, to farm; to reclaim
恳	kěn	sincere, earnest, cordial
垠	yín	boundary, river bank
哏	gén	the clamor of an argument; funny; odd
很	hěn	very, quite, much
茛	gèn	ranunculus
裉	kèn	a garment seam