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Kotomora

歓

delight, joy

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes15

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)

Explore all words using 歓 →

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.