also: たん
liver; innards
Refers to the organ or edible liver; also used broadly for innards in cooking contexts.
I like chicken liver yakitori.
Please remove the fish innards.
Metaphorical use likening courage to the liver; common in phrases like 肝が据わる (to have nerves of steel) or 肝を冷やす (to be scared stiff).
He has nerves of steel.
That accident scared me stiff.
Only with reading きも / キモ
Used to indicate the most important part of something; often appears in phrases like 肝心 (essential) or 肝に銘じる (take to heart).
What is the crux of this problem?
I took the teacher's words to heart.
The crux of this plan is budget management.
He's timid and gets scared easily.
gizzard
internal organs; entrails
Alternate kanji spelling for きも, especially common in the courage sense (e.g., 肝が据わる).
Rare reading たん for the kanji 胆, mostly seen in medical or compound contexts.
Katakana spelling used in casual or emphatic contexts, especially for the courage sense.