肌

jī

几 + 月

Definitions

jī (noun) flesh; muscle

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 几 represents the sound.

Semantic: ⺼ Phonetic: 几

About

The character 肌 is a phono-semantic compound. Its left side uses the flesh radical 月, which resembles the moon radical but derives from the character for meat (肉), indicating a bodily context. The right component 几 provides the phonetic cue. Its primary meaning refers to muscle tissue or flesh, specifically the physical substance beneath the skin. This anatomical definition is consistently used in medical, biological, and everyday language related to the muscular system, physical strength, and the body's soft tissues, without developing significant metaphorical extensions over time.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的肌肉很结实。

Wǒ de jīròu hěn jiēshi.

My muscles are very firm.

他每天锻炼肌肉。

Tā měitiān duànliàn jīròu.

He exercises his muscles every day.

她的肌肤非常光滑。

Tā de jīfū fēicháng guānghuá.

Her skin is very smooth.

运动员需要强壮的肌肉。

Yùndòngyuán xūyào qiángzhuàng de jīròu.

Athletes need strong muscles.

按摩可以放松紧张的肌肉。

Ànmó kěyǐ fàngsōng jǐnzhāng de jīròu.

Massage can relax tense muscles.

为了增强肌力，他经常举重。

Wèile zēngqiáng jīlì, tā jīngcháng jǔzhòng.

To strengthen muscle power, he often lifts weights.

这种蛋白质对肌肉生长很重要。

Zhè zhǒng dànbáizhì duì jīròu shēngzhǎng hěn zhòngyào.

This kind of protein is very important for muscle growth.

通过持续的训练，他的肌肉线条变得更加明显。

Tōngguò chíxù de xùnliàn, tā de jīròu xiàntiáo biàn dé gèng jiā míngxiǎn.

Through continuous training, the lines of his muscles have become more distinct.

Related Characters

Component: 几

Component: 月

肌