Kanji 要 need, main point, essence Related words· 6 重要 is the everyday, general word for 'important', while 肝要 is a stronger, more formal term closer to 'absolutely essential'.
肝心 and 肝要 both mean 'essential' and are nearly interchangeable, but 肝心 feels slightly more natural in everyday speech while 肝要 leans literary or formal.
必要 simply means 'necessary' or 'needed', whereas 肝要 stresses that something is critically important, not just required.
大切 is a warmer, more common word for 'important/precious', while 肝要 is more formal and used to stress strict necessity.
Show 2 more Show fewer 不可欠 emphasizes that something is indispensable and cannot be left out, while 肝要 emphasizes overriding importance rather than mere indispensability.
肝要 is a more literary word emphasizing that something is essential or crucial, while 主要 simply marks something as the main one among several options.
Etymology Compound of 肝 (liver, considered a vital organ) and 要 (essential point, pivot). The combination conveys the idea of something as crucial as the liver is to the body.
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