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Words Kanji Guides About

がん Japanese meaning | Kotomora

がん

が

ん

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

1

noun

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the disease in medical and everyday contexts. Can be used literally or figuratively for something that spreads harmfully.

父ちちは去きょ年ねん、胃いがんと診しん断だんされた。
My father was diagnosed with stomach cancer last year.
喫きつ煙えんは肺はいがんのリスクを高たかめる。
Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer.

Written forms

がんUsage43%
The most common spelling in general use; usually written in kana.
ガンUsage40%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing, but hiragana is more standard.
癌がんUsage17%
Kanji form is common in medical contexts and formal writing, but the kana spelling is more frequent in everyday use.

Kanji

癌cancer, cancerous evil

Similar words

腫しゅ瘍よう
腫瘍 is a general medical term for 'tumor', which can be benign or malignant, while がん specifically means 'cancer' (malignant).
悪あく性せい腫しゅ瘍よう
悪性腫瘍 is the formal medical term for 'malignant tumor', synonymous with がん but more technical.

Etymology

The kanji 癌 is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 疒 (sickness) combined with 嵒 (rocky cave), possibly suggesting a hard, lump-like growth. The reading がん is the on'yomi. The word is commonly written in kana.