臟

“Organs of the body”, as in 五臟 (오장, “the five viscera” – heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys in traditional East Asian medicine).

Phono-semantic compound:

肉 (육, “meat, flesh”) – indicates the meaning (a body part);

藏 (장, “to store, to conceal”) – provides the sound.

The use of 藏 (to store) also reflects the concept in traditional Chinese medicine that organs “store” vital energies and substances.

臟 appears in key medical and anatomical terms like 內臟 (내장, internal organs) and 五臟 (오장, the five viscera).

오장 (五臟) — the five vital organs

내장 (內臟) — internal organs

장기 (臟器) — organ

臟 specifically denotes vital internal structures, not the body as a whole.

Conceptual comparison:

臟 — internal organs (solid)

腑 — hollow organs

肉 — flesh

體 — body

血 — blood

In traditional Chinese medicine, 臟 refers specifically to the five solid organs (五臟):

- heart (心)

- liver (肝)

- spleen (脾)

- lungs (肺)

- kidneys (腎)

These are contrasted with 腑, the hollow organs (六腑).

Together they form the concept 臟腑, the foundation of traditional East Asian physiology.