Definitions

(noun) armpit

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "胳" is structured as a phono-semantic compound combining the radical "月", a form derived from "肉" that signifies flesh or body parts, with the phonetic component "各" to indicate its sound. Etymologically, it originally denoted the armpit in early Chinese texts, but its meaning gradually expanded to refer more generally to the arm or limb, particularly in modern compounds such as "胳膊". This shift from a specific anatomical reference to a broader term for a limb demonstrates a change in its semantic application over time while maintaining its association with the human body through its radical.

Example Sentences Hide

他举起了膊。

Tā jǔqǐle gēbo.

He raised his arm.

妈妈轻轻地拍了拍孩子的膊。

Māmā qīngqīng de pāi le pāi háizi de gēbo.

Mother gently patted the child's arm.

膊下面夹着一个公文包。

Tā gēbo xiàmiàn jiāzhe yīgè gōngwénbāo.

He is carrying a briefcase under his arm。

我摔了一跤,膊肘擦破了皮。

Wǒ shuāile yī jiāo, gēbozhǒu cāpòle pí.

I fell down and scraped the skin on my elbow.

弟弟的膊很瘦弱,没什么力气。

Dìdi de gēbo hěn shòuruò, méi shénme lìqì.

My younger brother's arms are very skinny and not very strong.

干活前,他挽起了膊上的袖子。

Gànhuó qián, tā wǎn qǐle gēbo shàng de xiùzi.

Before starting work, he rolled up the sleeves on his arms.

在医学上,膊的上臂和前臂结构不同。

Zài yīxué shàng, gēbo de shàngbì hé qiánbì jiégòu bùtóng.

Medically, the upper arm and the forearm of the arm have different structures.

经过反复争论,他意识到膊拧不过大腿。

Jīngguò fǎnfù zhēnglùn, tā yìshí dào gēbo nǐng bùguò dàtuǐ.

After repeated arguments, he realized that the arm cannot twist the thigh (meaning one can't win against a much stronger power).