歓
delight, joy
Readings
On'yomi
- カン
Kun'yomi
- よろこ.ぶ
Nanori
- ぶ
Meaning
歓 centers on a feeling of happy satisfaction: delight and joy. It captures the emotional lift of something pleasant or welcome.
Most common words using 歓
20 of 39- 歓迎かんげいN3
welcome; (warm) reception
- 歓喜かんき
delight; great joy
- 歓声かんせいN1
cheer; shout of joy
- 合歓ねむ
silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)
- 歓かん
joy; enjoyment; delight; pleasure
- 歓送かんそう
hearty send-off
- 歓待かんたい
warm welcome; friendly reception; hospitality; entertainment
- 歓楽街かんらくがい
entertainment district; amusement area; pleasure quarter; red-light district
- 歓談かんだん
pleasant talk; chat
- 交歓こうかん
exchange of courtesies (cordialities); fraternization; fraternisation
- 歓楽かんらく
pleasure; fun; enjoyment
- 歓心かんしん
favour; favor
- 合歓ごうかん
sharing pleasure (esp. of an intimate nature); sleeping together
- 歓呼かんこ
acclamation; jubilation
- 大歓迎だいかんげい
big welcome; welcoming greatly; being very welcome
- 哀歓あいかん
joys and sorrows; happiness and sadness
- 歓迎会かんげいかいN3
welcome party
- 交歓会こうかんかい
reception
- 合歓の木ねむのき
silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)
- 合歓木ごうかんぼく
silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)
Study
Etymology
歓 is the modern simplified form of 歡. The older form combines 欠 (open mouth, expressing emotion) with 雚, which likely contributed the sound and the idea of joyful expression. The modern left side is a simplification of 雚.
Meaning mnemonic
The right side 欠 suggests an open mouth, and the left side looks like a complex figure. Picture a person with a wide-open mouth, laughing or cheering with delight and joy.
Reading mnemonic
For カン, imagine a can of joy: when you open it, delight bursts out. Can -> カン, and the open mouth 欠 shows the happy reaction.