肝 — “Liver / Pluck / Nerve / Chutzpah” in Japanese

Master (高手)かん, きも

Radical ⾁ · radical 130 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Liver / Pluck / Nerve / Chutzpah” in Japanese is 肝, read kan, kimo (かん, きも). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 肝臓 (liver).

Try it now

What does 肝 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	肝
Meaning	Liver / Pluck / Nerve / Chutzpah
Readings	かん, きも
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	肝臓 (liver)

How to read 肝

肝 is read kan (かん) or kimo (きも) depending on the word.

Words with 肝

肝臓

Learn 肝 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 肝

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28