Japanese word

がん

Pronunciation

Romajigan

Meaning

  • nouncancer

Example

祖母はがんの治療を受けています。so bo wa ga n no chi ryō o u ke te i ma su

My grandmother is receiving treatment for cancer.

Illustration for がん (cancer)

More examples

定期的にがんの検査を受けています。tei ki teki ni ga n no ken sa o u ke te i ma su

I have regular cancer screenings.

Core concept

Describes a disease in which abnormal cells keep growing and may invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body.

Common phrases

  • がんの治療ga n no chi ryō

    cancer treatment

  • がんの検査ga n no ken sa

    cancer screening

  • がんの予防ga n no yo bō

    cancer prevention

Definition in Japanese

細胞が異常に増え続け、周囲の組織を侵したり、体の別の部位に広がったりする病気。sai bō ga i jō ni fu e tsuzu ke shū i no so shiki o oka shi ta ri karada no betsu no bu i ni hiro ga tta ri su ru byō ki

Word origin

The Japanese noun がん (gan, "cancer") is the hiragana form of the Sino-Japanese medical term 癌 (gan, "cancer"), whose character denotes a cancerous growth.

Usage tips

  • In modern Japanese, がん (gan) is the common neutral term, while 癌 (gan) is a kanji spelling often seen in formal or medical writing.

Word lists with this word