敢 means “daring, bold”

かん · kan

Also: brave, sad

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

あえて, あえない, あえず

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 12 strokes

The story

A striking hand (攵) on the right: picture stepping forward to do what others won't. 勇敢 is brave, 果敢 bold, 敢えて means doing it anyway, and sumo's Fighting Spirit Prize is the 敢闘賞.

Used in 勇敢 (yuukan, brave), 果敢 (kakan, bold/resolute), and 敢えて (aete, deliberately/daringly)

More from Bold & Fierce

• 激 intense
• 厳 strict
• 堅 firm
• 豪 mighty
• 猛 ferocious
• 冒 risk
• 烈 fierce
• 剛 sturdy
• 酷 cruel
• 壮 robust

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.