肝

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

肝 (Kangxi radical 130, 肉+3, 7 strokes, cangjie input 月一十 (BMJ), four-corner 7124₀, composition ⿰月干(GJKV) or ⿰⺼干(HT))

Derived characters

• 𨧠

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 974, character 9
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 29273
• Dae Jaweon: page 1425, character 31
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2044, character 3
• Unihan data for U+809D

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaːn) : semantic ⺼ (“flesh”) + phonetic 干 (OC *kaːn) – a body part.

Etymology

Probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b-ka-(n/m/ŋ) (“bitter; salty; bile; liver”), in which case it would be related to 苦 (OC *kʰaːʔ, *kʰaːs, “bitter”); also compare Proto-Bodo-Garo *bi-ka (“liver”), whence Bodo (India) (bi-ka, “liver”), Garo bika (“liver”).

Alternatively, Schuessler (2007) compares it with Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-kal ~ *s-gal (“lower back; kidney”), whence Tibetan མཁལ་མ (mkhal ma, “kidney”), Mizo kal (“kidney”), Chepang गल् (“kidney”), Burmese ခါး (hka:, “waist”).

Pronunciation

Definitions

肝

1. liver (Classifier: 葉／叶; 個／个)

   我不吃肚也不吃肝。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Wǒ bù chī dǔ yě bù chī gān.

   I don't eat tripe or liver.

   身體的大部分膽固醇是在肝和腸內由消化的食物製成的。 [MSC, trad.]
   身体的大部分胆固醇是在肝和肠内由消化的食物制成的。 [MSC, simp.]

   Shēntǐ de dàbùfēn dǎngùchún shì zài gān hé cháng nèi yóu xiāohuà de shíwù zhì chéng de.

   Most of the body's cholesterol is made in the liver and intestine from digested food.

2. (figurative) mind; thoughts
3. (video games, neologism) to grind; to repeat a task day and night, which may exhaust the liver, in order to achieve a specific goal

   這遊戲很吸引人，但我實在肝不動了。它太肝了。 [MSC, trad.]
   这游戏很吸引人，但我实在肝不动了。它太肝了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè yóuxì hěn xīyǐn rén, dàn wǒ shízài gān bù dòng le. Tā tài gān le.

   This game is attractive, but I really can't grind anymore. It's too grindy.

4. (video games, neologism) grindy

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)
• Kun: きも (kimo, 肝, Jōyō)

Compounds

• 肝(かん)炎(えん) (kan'en)

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kimo. Cognate with Okinawan 肝 (ちむ, chimu).

First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) きも​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

肝(きも) • (kimo) 

1. the liver
   • 794, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki:

     心腎肝脯 心人情也 腎音神 訓牟良斗 肝音干 訓岐毛

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. innards
3. (figuratively) important part

References

• Takeuchi, Rizō (1962) Nara Ibun: Volume 3 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Tōkyōdō Shuppan, →ISBN.

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 肝 (MC kan).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) か​ん (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Affix

肝(かん) • (kan) 

1. liver
2. (figuratively) essential thing; important thing
3. (figuratively) courage; spirit

Noun

肝(かん) • (kan) 

1. liver
2. (obsolete, figuratively) heart; spirit

References

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 肝 (MC kan). Recorded as Middle Korean 간 (kan) (Yale: kan) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Pronunciation

• (in 肝氣 and 肝腸):
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
  • Phonetic hangul:
• (liver):
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
  • Phonetic hangul:
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

肝

Wikisource

肝 (eumhun 간 간 (gan gan))

1. Hanja form^? of 간 (“liver”).

Compounds

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Okinawan

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• On (unclassified): かん (kan, Jōyō)
• Kun: ちむ (chimu, 肝)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan, from Proto-Japonic *kimo.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ちむ​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

肝(ちむ) (chimu) 

1. the liver
2. heart; spirit

Derived terms

References

Vietnamese

Han character

肝: Hán Nôm readings: can, gan

1. chữ Hán form of can (“liver”).
2. Nôm form of gan (“liver”).