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Kotomora

幹

tree trunk, main part, talent, capability

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · grade 5FrequencyTop 500Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • カン

Kun'yomi

  • みき

Nanori

  • つよし
  • まさ
  • もと
  • えだ

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

Explore all words using 幹 →

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.