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liver · guts · crux
N1
On: かんKun: きも

Memory Aid

'Kan' — You CAN'T live without your LIVER. It's the CRUX of your health and takes GUTS to keep it healthy.

This kanji for LIVER (肝) depicts the 'meat' radical (月) on the left, and on the right, the character for 'dry' (干). Imagine a piece of meat left out to dry, like a preserved organ.

Vocabulary

肝臓かんぞうliver (organ)
肝心かんじんessential, crucial
肝試しきもだめしtest of courage
肝炎かんえんhepatitis
きもguts, courage

Example Sentences

肝臓は体の中で重要な役割をしています。

The liver plays an important role in the body.

子供たちは暗い場所で肝試しをした。

The children had a test of courage in a dark place.

このプロジェクトの肝心な点はチームワークです。

The crucial point of this project is teamwork.

彼はその問題の肝を理解している。

He understands the essence of the problem.

Related Kanji