Meaning and Usage
"肝心" (かんじん) means something essential, crucial, or fundamental. It is often used to emphasize the importance of a particular point, fact, or element in a situation.
Common Contexts
You will frequently see "肝心" used to highlight the most important part of a story, task, or argument. For example, "肝心なところ" means "the crucial part." It can refer to tangible things like documents or intangible things like ideas or moments.
Collocations and Patterns
- 肝心な + noun: emphasizes the importance of the noun (e.g., 肝心な資料 - essential documents).
- 肝心の + noun: used when the noun is the key or main thing being discussed (e.g., 肝心の問題 - the crucial problem).
- 肝心なのは + phrase: used to stress what is most important (e.g., 肝心なのは結果だ - what matters is the result).
Register and Nuance
"肝心" is a formal word often used in written and spoken Japanese when stressing importance. It is more formal than casual words like "大事" (だいじ). It is suitable for business, academic, and serious conversations.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "肝心" with "重要" (じゅうよう), which also means important. "肝心" often implies a more fundamental or indispensable aspect, while "重要" is more general. Use "肝心" when you want to emphasize the core or essence of something.