内臓

• Reading: ないぞう
• Romaji: naizou
• Kanji breakdown: 内 (nai) — inside, inner; 臓 (zou) — organ, viscera
• Pronunciation: /nai.zoː/

Meaning

Internal organs; viscera. The organs inside the body such as the heart, liver, and stomach.

A medical and biological noun referring to the organs contained within the body cavities. Common in health discussions, cooking contexts (offal/organ meats), and biology. Not to be confused with 内蔵 (naizou, built-in/internal), which uses a different second kanji. 内臓脂肪 (visceral fat) is a frequently heard health term.

Examples

1. 健康診断で内臓の状態を調べてもらった。 I had my organs checked during a medical checkup.
2. 内臓脂肪を減らすには適度な運動が必要だ。 Regular exercise is necessary to reduce visceral fat.
3. この魚は内臓を取り除いてから調理してください。 Please remove the organs from this fish before cooking.

Usage Guide

Context: health, medicine, cooking, biology

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 内 (nai, inside) + 臓 (zou, organ/viscera). The kanji 臓 specifically refers to bodily organs, containing the flesh radical 月.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal