肾

腎

shèn

〢 + 又 + 月

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

shèn (noun) kidney

Etymology phono-semantic

flesh

Semantic: ⺼

About

肾 is a phono-semantic compound that refers to the kidneys. In its traditional form 腎, the semantic component is 肉 (⺼) at the bottom, the meat or flesh radical used in many anatomy-related characters, and the phonetic element is 臤 on top. The simplified character 肾 keeps the flesh radical ⺼ but replaces the phonetic part with a streamlined shape: it uses the top portion of 坚 (a simplified version of 臤) without its earth element 土, thereby retaining a clear anatomical cue.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的肾很健康。

Wǒ de shèn hěn jiànkāng.

My kidney is very healthy.

肾脏是人体的重要器官。

Shènzàng shì réntǐ de zhòngyào qìguān.

The kidney is an important organ in the human body.

他需要检查肾功能。

Tā xūyào jiǎnchá shèn gōngnéng.

He needs to check kidney function.

医生建议保护肾脏健康。

Yīshēng jiànyì bǎohù shènzàng jiànkāng.

The doctor advises protecting kidney health.

慢性肾病需要长期治疗。

Mànxìng shènbìng xūyào chángqī zhìliáo.

Chronic kidney disease requires long-term treatment.

肾移植手术非常复杂。

Shèn yízhí shǒushù fēicháng fùzá.

Kidney transplant surgery is very complex.

高血压可能损害肾功能。

Gāo xuèyā kěnéng sǔnhài shèn gōngnéng.

High blood pressure may damage kidney function.

定期体检可以早期发现肾问题。

Dìngqī tǐjiǎn kěyǐ zǎoqī fāxiàn shèn wèntí.

Regular physical exams can detect kidney problems early.

Related Characters

Component: 〢

Component: 又

Component: 月

肾