肝 (gān) - Liver — the organ & figuratively refers to one's innermost feelings, courage, or

肝Tone 1

gān ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 月

枫惠

肝 · gān

Liver — the organ;

figuratively refers to one's innermost feelings, courage, or essence.

Liver — the organfiguratively refers to one's innermost feelings, courage, or

Usage highlights

LiverLiver cancerLiver fire in TCMLiver and gallbladderFatty liverLiver function

Synonyms

  • 肝脏— liver (organ)
  • 肝胆— liver and gallbladder; courage and sincerity

Antonyms

  • 胆小— cowardly (antonym to the 'courage' sense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The liver (肝脏) is a vital organ.
  • He has liver disease (肝病).
  • She is a workaholic (工作狂), often described as 'bursting her liver' (爆肝) in slang.
  • Traditional Chinese medicine treats liver fire (肝火).

Collocations

  • Liver(肝脏)
  • Liver cancer(肝癌)
  • Liver fire in TCM(肝火)
  • Liver and gallbladder(肝胆)
  • Fatty liver(脂肪肝)
  • Liver function(肝功能)

Idioms

  • Loyal and courageous(肝胆相照)
  • Pour out one's heart(披肝沥胆)
  • Liver and brain涂地 (肝脑涂地) — to sacrifice one's life

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, the liver is associated with the wood element and is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi.
  • Figuratively, 'liver' represents one's innermost self, courage, and sincerity, as in the idiom 肝胆相照 (showing utter devotion).

FAQ