胆

gallbladder; liver; innards; courage

Kanji 1564

Find out how 胆 and 肝 (liver) enjoy an incredibly close relationship. They're often interchangeable and collectively serve as a metaphor for profound compatibility. These organs supposedly work together to govern our minds and hearts, with the gallbladder supplying courage. Learn about a long-standing theory that bodily fluids such as bile even determine personality traits.

Revision history:

Feb. 1, 2022: 

• p. 2, Etymology Box: Updated the Henshall etymology and the Sears link.
• p. 8: Revised a paragraph to match the changes to Henshall's etymology.
• p. 15: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.

Mar. 31, 2018: 

• p. 5: Made several changes to the photo caption about bear gallbladders and bile.
• pp. 4, 5, 7, and 15: Removed broken links.

Nov. 21, 2014: On p. 9, I made several changes to the Kennedy sentence.

May 6, 2014: On p. 13, I changed the definition of によって from "because" to "by."

Nov. 15, 2013: On p. 5, I added yomi for 五臓 and 六腑. On p. 6, I made changes to the last term in the sidebar, now treating it as a noun.

Sept. 13, 2013: On p. 1, in the look-alikes section of the Character Profile, I added the yomi of ダン; it now says 旦 (2063: dawn, タン or ダン).

Aug. 2, 2013: Originally published.