Definitions

jiān (noun) shoulder
jiān (verb) to shoulder (responsibilities)

Etymology

Originally a pictograph of a shoulder. Later the ⺼ (flesh) component was added.

About

The character 肩 combines the flesh radical 月 at the bottom, indicating a body part, with the top component 户, which originally depicted a door and serves as the phonetic element. Its primary meaning is the human shoulder or the joint in animals connecting the foreleg to the torso. From the physical act of using the shoulders to carry loads, the meaning extended to verbs like "to bear" or "to shoulder", and further to the abstract sense of undertaking responsibilities or duties.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的膀很疼。

Wǒ de jiānbǎng hěn téng.

My shoulder hurts.

他拍了拍我的膀。

Tā pāi le pāi wǒ de jiānbǎng.

He patted my shoulder.

我需要按摩一下膀。

Wǒ xūyào ànmó yīxià jiānbǎng.

I need to massage my shoulder a bit.

负重要责任。

Tā jiānfù zhòngyào zérèn.

He shoulders important responsibilities.

她的膀因为工作而酸痛。

Tā de jiānbǎng yīnwèi gōngzuò ér suāntòng.

Her shoulders ache because of work.

尽管膀受伤,他仍然完成了任务。

Jǐnguǎn jiānbǎng shòushāng, tā réngrán wánchéngle rènwù.

Despite shoulder injury, he still completed the task.

在团队中,每个人都应该负起自己的职责。

Zài tuánduì zhōng, měi gè rén dōu yīnggāi jiānfù qǐ zìjǐ de zhízé.

In a team, everyone should shoulder their own duties.

通过长期的合作,他们建立了深厚的友谊。

Tōngguò chángqī de jiān bìng jiān hézuò, tāmen jiànlìle shēnhòu de yǒuyì.

Through long-term side-by-side cooperation, they built a deep friendship.