肘

zhǒu

寸 + 月

Definitions

zhǒu elbow; pork shoulder

Etymology

Originally written similar to 九, which depicts an elbow. Later the ⺼ (meat, flesh) component was added.

About

The character 肘 consists of the flesh radical 月 (a variant of 肉, "meat") and the component 寸. Historically, it was originally a pictograph of an elbow, written similarly to 九, which itself depicted an elbow joint. Later, the flesh radical was added to specify a body part, and the original pictograph evolved into the 寸 component. This structure directly denotes the elbow, the joint connecting the upper and lower arm.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的肘部有点疼。

Wǒ de zhǒu bù yǒu diǎn téng.

My elbow hurts a little.

小心别碰到他的肘。

Xiǎoxīn bié pèng dào tā de zhǒu.

Be careful not to bump his elbow.

他用手肘轻轻推了我一下。

Tā yòng shǒuzhǒu qīngqīng tuī le wǒ yíxià.

He gently nudged me with his elbow.

医生检查了我的肘关节。

Yīshēng jiǎnchá le wǒ de zhǒu guānjié.

The doctor examined my elbow joint.

他摔了一跤肘部擦伤了。

Tā shuāi le yì jiāo zhǒu bù cāshāng le.

He fell and scraped his elbow.

网球运动员容易肘部受伤。

Wǎngqiú yùndòngyuán róngyì zhǒu bù shòushāng.

Tennis players are prone to elbow injuries.

请保持肘部弯曲九十度。

Qǐng bǎochí zhǒu bù wānqū jiǔshí dù.

Please keep your elbow bent at ninety degrees.

这种护具能有效减轻肘部压力。

Zhè zhǒng hùjù néng yǒuxiào jiǎnqīng zhǒu bù yālì.

This protective gear can effectively reduce pressure on the elbow.

Related Characters

Component: 寸

Component: 月

肘