肝

TranslingualEdit

Stroke order

Han characterEdit

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 charactersEdit

𨧠

ReferencesEdit

KangXi: 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

ChineseEdit

trad.		肝
simp. ^#		肝

Glyph originEdit

Characters in the same phonetic series (干) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
訐	krads, krads, ked, kad
肝	*kaːn
竿	*kaːn
干	*kaːn
奸	*kaːn
玕	*kaːn
汗	kaːn, ɡaːn, *ɡaːns
迀	*kaːn
忓	kaːn, ɡaːns
鳱	*kaːn
邗	kaːn, ɡaːn
秆	*kaːnʔ
矸	kaːnʔ, kaːns, *ɡaːns
仠	*kaːnʔ
皯	*kaːnʔ
衦	*kaːnʔ
簳	*kaːnʔ
擀	*kaːnʔ
旰	*kaːns
盰	*kaːns
幹	*kaːns
杆	*kaːns
骭	kaːns, ɡraːns
桿	*kaːnʔ
趕	*kaːnʔ
稈	*kaːnʔ
刊	*kʰaːn
靬	kʰaːn, kʰaːns, kreːn, kan
衎	kʰaːnʔ, kʰaːns
犴	ŋaːn, ŋaːns
豻	ŋaːn, ŋaːns, ɦŋaːns, ŋ̊ʰraːn
頇	ŋaːns, hŋaːn, *ŋaːd
岸	*ŋɡaːns
鼾	qʰaːn, ɢaːns
罕	qʰaːnʔ, qʰaːns
焊	qʰaːnʔ, ɡaːns
蔊	*qʰaːnʔ
虷	*ɡaːn
旱	*ɡaːnʔ
皔	*ɡaːnʔ
釬	*ɡaːns
扞	*ɡaːns
閈	*ɡaːns
馯	ɡaːns, kʰraːn
捍	ɡaːns, ɡraːnʔ
悍	*ɡaːns
銲	*ɡaːns
垾	*ɡaːns
駻	*ɡaːns
睅	*ɡʷranʔ
娨	*ɡraːns
飦	*kan
赶	ɡan, ɡʷad
軒	*qʰan
蓒	*qʰan
酐	*qʰaːŋʔ
澣	*ɡʷaːnʔ

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

EtymologyEdit

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) [script needed] (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”).

PronunciationEdit

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): gān (gan¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄢ

(Chengdu, SP): gan¹
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gon¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): gon¹
Gan (Wiktionary): gon¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kôn

(Meixian, Guangdong): gon¹
Jin (Wiktionary): gan¹
Min Bei (KCR): húing
Min Dong (BUC): găng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): koaⁿ / kan

(Teochew, Peng'im): guan¹
Wu (Wiktionary): ¹koe
Xiang (Wiktionary): gan¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gān
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gan
  - Wade–Giles: kan¹
  - Yale: gān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gan
  - Palladius: гань (ganʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kän⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: gan¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gan
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kan⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gon¹
  - Yale: gōn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gon¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gon¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːn⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: gon¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kᵘɔn³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: gon¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɵn⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kôn
  - Hakka Romanization System: gon´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: gon¹
  - Sinological IPA: /kon²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: gon¹
  - Sinological IPA: /kɔn⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: gan¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /kæ̃¹¹/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: húing
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /xuiŋ⁵⁴/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: găng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ⁵⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koaⁿ / kan
  - Tâi-lô: kuann / kan
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kvoaf, kafn
  - IPA (Xiamen): /kuã⁴⁴/, /kan⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kuã³³/, /kan³³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /kuã⁴⁴/, /kan⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /kuã⁴⁴/, /kan⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kuã⁴⁴/, /kan⁴⁴/

Note:

koaⁿ - vernacular;
kan - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: guan¹
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kuaⁿ
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /kũã³³/

Wu

(Shanghainese)
- Wiktionary: ¹koe
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /kø⁵³/

Xiang

(Changsha)
- Wiktionary: gan¹
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /kan³³/

Middle Chinese: /kɑn/

Rime
Character	肝
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	寒 (61)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古寒切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɑn/
Pan Wuyun	/kɑn/
Shao Rongfen	/kɑn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kan/
Li Rong	/kɑn/
Wang Li	/kɑn/
Bernard Karlgren	/kɑn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gon¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*s.kˤa[r]/

(Zhengzhang): /*kaːn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	肝
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gān
Middle Chinese	‹ kan ›
Old Chinese	/*s.kˁa[r]/
English	liver
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	肝
Reading #	1/1
No.	3568
Phonetic component	干
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	干
Old Chinese	/*kaːn/

DefinitionsEdit

肝

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. [Pinyin]
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. [Pinyin]
Most of the body's cholesterol is made in the liver and intestine from digested food.
(figurative) mind; thoughts
(video games, neologism) to grind; to repeat a task day and night, which may exhaust the liver, in order to achieve a specific goal; grindy
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. [Pinyin]
This game is attractive, but I really can't grind anymore. It's too grindy.

CompoundsEdit

Derived terms from 肝

JapaneseEdit

KanjiEdit

肝

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

ReadingsEdit

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

CompoundsEdit

肝(かん)炎(えん) (kan'en)

Etymology 1Edit

Kanji in this term
肝
きも Grade: S
kun’yomi

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

PronunciationEdit

Kun’yomi

(Tokyo) きも [kìmóꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[1]
IPA^(key): [kʲimo̞]

NounEdit

肝(きも) • (kimo)

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 quote)
innards
(figuratively) important part

ReferencesEdit

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

Etymology 2Edit

Kanji in this term
肝
かん Grade: S
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 肝 (MC kɑn).

PronunciationEdit

On’yomi

(Tokyo) かん [káꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
IPA^(key): [kã̠ɴ]

AffixEdit

肝(かん) • (kan)

liver
(figuratively) essential thing; important thing
(figuratively) courage; spirit

NounEdit

肝(かん) • (kan)

liver
(obsolete, figuratively) heart; spirit

ReferencesEdit

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

KoreanEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

(in 肝氣 and 肝腸):
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ka̠n]
- Phonetic hangul: [간]
(liver):
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ka̠(ː)n]
- Phonetic hangul: [간(ː)]
  - Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

HanjaEdit

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

肝

Wikisource

肝 (eumhun 간 간 (gan gan))

Hanja form^? of 간 (“liver”).

CompoundsEdit

Compounds

간장 (肝臟, ganjang)
간염 (肝炎, ganyeom)
간담 (肝膽, gandam)
간암 (肝癌, ganam)
간장 (肝腸, ganjang)
간요 (肝要, ganyo)

ReferencesEdit

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

OkinawanEdit

KanjiEdit

ReadingsEdit

On: かん (kan)
Kun: ちむ (chimu, 肝)

EtymologyEdit

Kanji in this term
肝
ちむ Grade: S
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kimo.

PronunciationEdit

Kun’yomi

(Tokyo) ちむ [chìmúꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
IPA^(key): [t͡ɕimɯ̟ᵝ]

NounEdit

肝 (hiragana ちむ, rōmaji chimu)

the liver
heart; spirit

Derived termsEdit

Derived terms

肝 (ちむ)どんどん (chimudondon)
肝 (ちむ)心 (ぐくる) (chimugukuru)

ReferencesEdit

VietnameseEdit

Han characterEdit

肝: Hán Nôm readings: can, gan

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

[DJR-1] 1.0 ^1.1 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]