胆 means “gallbladder, courage”

たん · tan

Also: gall bladder, pluck, nerve

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

きも

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

タン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 9 strokes

The story

Flesh (月) beside dawn (旦): in Chinese medicine the gallbladder held a person's nerve, so 大胆, a big gall, is bold, and 落胆, a dropped gall, is losing heart. 胆のう is the gallbladder itself.

Used in 大胆 (daitan, bold), 落胆 (rakutan, discouragement), and 胆のう (tannou, gallbladder)

More from Inner Organs

• 脈 pulse
• 髄 marrow
• 腎 kidney
• 膜 membrane
• 腸 intestines
• 肪 fat
• 椎 vertebra
• 剖 dissect
• 泌 secrete
• 脊 spine
• 腺 gland
• 筋 muscle

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