liver · courage

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 肝 is read かん, has 7 strokes, and appears in words for the liver or an essential point.
• Basic usage: 肝心 is read かんじん, and 肝臓 is read かんぞう.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 肝心 and 肝臓
  • 肝心 means essential or most important.
  • 道具はそろったのに、肝心の材料を忘れました。 means “We had all the tools but forgot the most important material.”
  • 肝臓 means liver.
  • 肝臓は体内でさまざまな働きを担っている。 means “The liver performs various functions in the body.”