Learn a Chinese Character - 筋

1. Character Basics

Radical: ⺮/zhú (bamboo) also known as bamboo head radical

Stroke Count: 12

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jīn (first tone)

3. Meaning

Tendons, muscles, veins, sinews, reinforcing bars

4. Common Words

• 筋肉 (jīn ròu): Muscles, flesh
• 筋疲力尽 (jīn pí lì jìn): Completely exhausted, worn out
• 钢筋 (gāng jīn): Reinforcing steel bar, rebar
• 筋骨 (jīn gǔ): Muscles and bones, physical strength
• 青筋 (qīng jīn): Blue veins, visible veins
• 抽筋 (chōu jīn): Cramp, to have a cramp

5. Grammar & Usage

As a noun:
- Refers to tendons, ligaments, and sinews in the human body: 筋肉 (jīn ròu), 筋骨 (jīn gǔ)
- Refers to things that resemble tendons in appearance or function: 钢筋 (gāng jīn)

In idioms:
- 筋疲力尽 (jīn pí lì jìn): To be completely exhausted
- 钢筋铁骨 (gāng jīn tiě gǔ): Strong as steel,形容体魄强健或意志坚定
- 伤筋动骨 (shāng jīn dòng gǔ): To injure muscles and bones, a serious injury

Common collocations:
- Often combined with words related to the body: 筋肉 (muscles), 筋骨 (muscles and bones)
- Used in medical and sports contexts to describe physical conditions
- Used in construction terminology: 钢筋混凝土 (reinforced concrete)

6. Cultural Background

The character 筋 has significant cultural meaning in Chinese society:

Traditional Chinese medicine:
- In TCM theory, "筋" (tendons) is one of the "five bodies" (五体) along with bones, flesh, skin, and vessels.
- It is believed to be connected to the liver according to TCM theory (肝主筋).

Martial arts culture:
- The famous martial art manual "Yijinjing" (易筋经, Sinew Metamorphosis Classic) focuses on strengthening the tendons and ligaments.
- Martial artists train to develop strong "筋" for power and flexibility.

Everyday language:
- The character is often used metaphorically to describe resilience and strength.
- Phrases like "钢筋铁骨" (gāng jīn tiě gǔ) compare strong people to steel bars and iron bones.

Construction and engineering:
- 钢筋 (reinforcing steel) is a fundamental material in modern construction, showing the character's extension beyond its original meaning.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

Character breakdown:
- ⺮ (bamboo head radical) on top
- 月 (moon/meat radical) in the middle，表示与身体有关
- 力 (power/strength) on the right

Mnemonic:
Think of the bamboo (⺮) as something flexible yet strong, attached to body tissue (月) with power (力) - this represents the tendons (筋) that connect our muscles to bones.

Visual association:
The 月 (meat) radical reminds us that 筋 is related to the body, while the 力 (strength) radical indicates its role in movement and physical power.