肝に銘じる

• Reading: きもにめいじる
• Romaji: kimo ni meijiru
• Kanji breakdown: 肝 (kan/kimo) — liver, vital; 銘 (mei) — inscribe, engrave
• Pronunciation: /ki.mo.ni.meː.dʑi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To take to heart; to bear firmly in mind; to engrave on one's heart. To deeply internalise a lesson or warning.

An expression using Group 2 (ichidan) verb 銘じる. Literally 'to engrave on one's liver' — in East Asian tradition, the liver (肝) was considered the seat of courage, spirit, and deep emotion. 銘じる means to inscribe or engrave. The expression means to accept something so deeply that it becomes part of oneself. Used when making serious commitments or receiving important advice.

Examples

1. 先生の言葉を肝に銘じて頑張ります。 I'll take my teacher's words to heart and do my best.
2. 二度と同じ失敗をしないと肝に銘じた。 I vowed to never make the same mistake again.
3. この経験を肝に銘じて今後に活かしたい。 I want to take this experience to heart and use it going forward.

Usage Guide

Context: self-improvement, advice, determination

Tone: solemn

Origin & History

From 肝 (liver), traditionally considered the seat of the soul in East Asian medicine, and 銘じる (to engrave/inscribe). Engraving something on the liver meant making it an indelible part of one's deepest self.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal