幹
tree trunk, main part, talent, capability
Readings
On'yomi
- カン
Kun'yomi
- みき
Nanori
- つよし
- まさ
- もと
- えだ
- き
- くる
- たかし
- つね
- とも
- み
- もとき
- よし
- より
Meaning
幹 centers on the core structural part that supports everything else: a tree trunk, the main part of something, or a person's fundamental talent and capability.
Most common words using 幹
20 of 71- 新幹線しんかんせんN4
Shinkansen; bullet train
- 幹部かんぶN1
management; (executive) staff; leaders; leadership; top brass; upper echelons
- 幹事かんじN2
executive secretary; coordinator; organizer; person in charge of making arrangements
- 幹みきN1
tree trunk; bole
- 基幹きかん
mainstay; nucleus; key
- 根幹こんかん
foundation; root; basis; core; fundamentals
- 幹線かんせんN1
main line; trunk line
- 主幹しゅかん
chief editor; managing editor
- 東海道新幹線とうかいどうしんかんせん
Tōkaidō Shinkansen
- 山陽新幹線さんようしんかんせん
San'yō Shinkansen
- 東北新幹線とうほくしんかんせん
Tōhoku Shinkansen
- 脳幹のうかん
brain stem
- 上越新幹線じょうえつしんかんせん
Jōetsu Shinkansen
- 語幹ごかん
stem (non-inflecting part of a word); word stem
- ミニ新幹線ミニしんかんせん
mini-shinkansen
- リニア中央新幹線リニアちゅうおうしんかんせん
Linear Chūō Shinkansen
- リンパ本幹リンパほんかん
lymph duct; lymphatic duct
- 上級幹部じょうきゅうかんぶ
senior executive staff; upper management
- 下位脳幹かいのうかん
lower brainstem
- 中央新幹線ちゅうおうしんかんせん
Chūō Shinkansen
Study
Etymology
幹 combines 干 (which may suggest a pestle or shield) with a phonetic element on the left (originally 倝 or similar), historically associated with the core or trunk of something. The modern form keeps the left side as 十 over 日, but the exact historical development of the left component is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side looks like a sturdy structure (十 over 日), and the right side 干 resembles a strong trunk. Together they form the main supporting part: a tree trunk or the core talent of a person.
Reading mnemonic
For カン, imagine a can of talent: the can (カン) holds all your capability, just like a trunk holds the tree together.