Translingual

Stroke order

Alternative forms

• ⺼ U+2EBC (when used as a left Chinese radical in compositions)

The radical form ⺼ looks very similar to 月 ‎(“moon”), and is often drawn identically in compounds, though they are etymologically distinct, and careful usage distinguishes the cross strokes, with ⺼ written with unattached diagonal strokes. This is particularly an issue in looking up characters by radical; compare 月 index and 肉 index.

The radical form ⺼ may also appear twisted to a diagonal, resembling 夕 with an added dot, as in 祭, 然, and 將.

Han character

肉 (radical 130 肉+0, 6 strokes, cangjie input 人月人 (OBO), four-corner 4022₇)

1. Kangxi radical #130, ⾁ ‎(“meat”).

Derived characters

• Index:Chinese radical/肉
• 將 (top right component)
• 祭 (top left component)

References

• KangXi: page 973, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 29236
• Dae Jaweon: page 1424, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 5, page 2931, character 1
• Unihan data for U+8089

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 肉
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Large seal script	Small seal script

Pictogram (象形) – ribs of an animal’s torso.

Etymology 1

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-nja-k ‎(“meat, flesh”).

Pronunciation

Definitions

肉

1. meat; flesh

   豬肉 / 猪肉  ―  zhūròu  ―  pork

   牛肉  ―  niúròu  ―  beef

   我從不吃肉。 / 我从不吃肉。  ―  Wǒ cóngbù chī ròu.  ―  I never eat meat.

   • 這種魚的肉異常鮮美。 [MSC, trad.]
     这种鱼的肉异常鲜美。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhè zhǒng yú de ròu yìcháng xiānměi. [Pinyin]

     The flesh of this kind of fish has exceptional delicacy.

   • 他們可以飽餐一頓這些死動物的肉。 [MSC, trad.]
     他们可以饱餐一顿这些死动物的肉。 [MSC, simp.]

     Tāmen kěyǐ bǎocānyīdùn zhèxiē sǐ dòngwù de ròu. [Pinyin]

     They could feast on the flesh of the dead animals.

2. body

   肉體 / 肉体  ―  ròutǐ  ―  physical body

3. flesh; pulp
   • 這桃子肉味甜汁多。 [MSC, trad.]
     这桃子肉味甜汁多。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhè táozǐ ròu wèi tián zhī duō. [Pinyin]

     The flesh of the peach was sweet and juicy.

4. (dialectal) spongy; squashy; flabby
   • 這西瓜瓤兒太肉了。 [MSC, trad.]
     这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhè xīguā rángr tài ròu le. [Pinyin]

     The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.

5. (dialectal) slow; sluggish
   • 這個人做事真肉。 / 这个人做事真肉。  ―  Zhè ge rén zuòshì zhēn ròu.  ―  This person does everything sluggishly.

Compounds

Descendants

Etymology 2

Possibly of substrate origin, perhaps from Proto-Austronesian *babuy ‎(“wild pig”) (see baboy). Alternatively, it may be related to 脢.

Pronunciation

Definitions

肉 (Min Nan)

1. meat; flesh

   豬肉 / 猪肉 [Min Nan]  ―  ti-bah [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  pork

   牛肉 [Min Nan]  ―  gû-bah [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  beef

2. pork

   肉骨 [Min Nan]  ―  bah-kut [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  pork ribs

3. flesh; pulp

   龍眼乾肉 / 龙眼干肉 [Min Nan]  ―  lêng-géng-koaⁿ bah [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  flesh of dried longan

4. main part of an object

   刀肉 [Min Nan]  ―  to-bah [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  blade of a knife or sword

References

• “Entry #2607”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. flesh, meat

Readings

• Goon: にく (niku)
• Kan’on: じく (jiku) (obsolete)
• Kun: しし (shishi)

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese. Not used in isolation in modern Japanese. Persists in compounds.

Cognate with 獣 ‎(shishi, “beast, especially one used for meat”).

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) し​し [shíꜜshì] (Atamadaka - [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɕiɕi]

Noun

肉 ‎(hiragana しし, romaji shishi)

1. (obsolete) meat
2. (obsolete) flesh, as of one's body
   • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 16, poem 3885); text here:

     吾完者 御奈麻須波夜志

     我が肉は み膾はやし

     わ が しし は みなます はやし

     wa ga shishi wa mi-namasu hayashi

     use my flesh for your side-dish

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 肉 ‎(*njiuk). Compare modern Min Nan 肉 ‎(jiok⁸) or Hakka 肉 ‎(niuk⁷).

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Goon
• (Tokyo) にく​ [nìkúꜜ] (Odaka - [2])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [nikɯᵝ]

Noun

肉 ‎(hiragana にく, romaji niku)

1. meat, the muscle and fat tissue of an animal used as food
2. the flesh of an animal
3. the flesh of a fruit or vegetable
4. one's body, as opposed to spirit
5. the thickness of a thing

   板 (いた)の肉 (にく)

   ita no niku

   the thickness of a board

6. (figuratively) the flesh or meat of something, such as an idea, structure, or argument

   議論 (ぎろん)に肉 (にく)をつける

   giron ni niku o tsukeru

   to put some meat on an argument, to flesh out an argument

7. an ink pad, a stamp pad
8. (theater, kabuki) short for 肉襦袢 ‎(niku juban): flesh-toned undergarments worn by actors and shown when the character has to display their skin

Synonyms

• (fruit or vegetable flesh): 実 (み) ‎(mi)
• (body): 肉体 (にくたい) ‎(nikutai)
• (thickness): 厚 (あつ)さ ‎(atsusa), 太 (ふと)さ ‎(futosa)
• (ink pad): 印肉 (いんにく) ‎(inniku)

Derived terms

References

1. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9

Korean

Hanja

肉 • ‎(yuk, yu) (hangeul 육, 유, McCune-Reischauer yuk, yu, Yale yuk, yu)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

• Hán Việt: nhục

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.