幹 means “trunk, main part”

かん · kan

Also: tree trunk, talent, capability

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

みき

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カン

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 5 · 13 strokes

The story

The left of 朝, the sun (日) between two crosses (十), beside a person (人) over a pole (干): picture a tall trunk in the morning light. 新幹線 is the "new trunk line", the bullet train, 幹部 are executives, and the 幹事 runs the office party.

Used in 新幹線 (shinkansen, bullet train), 幹部 (kanbu, executive/leadership), and 幹事 (kanji, organizer)

More from Roots & Foundations

• 源 source
• 拠 basis
• 盤 board
• 礎 cornerstone
• 軸 axis
• 概 outline
• 枢 pivot
• 芯 core
• 基 foundation

Learn 幹 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

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