gon1 zong6肝臟肝脏
Jyutpinggon1 zong6
Yalegōn johng
Definition
The liver; the bodily organ responsible for metabolism, detoxification, and protein synthesis.
neutralbodyhealth
How it's used
While 肝臟 is the formal anatomical term, people often just say 肝 when discussing health or diet. Using the full term 肝臟 sounds more clinical or serious, such as when discussing medical conditions or organ function. It is common to pair it with verbs like 傷 or 保護 to talk about lifestyle impacts.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The doctor said he has some problems with his liver.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 肝臟 in casual conversation where 肝 is more natural. Using the full two-character term for every mention of the organ can sound overly formal or like you are reading from a medical textbook.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
