Chinese word

肌肉

Pronunciation

Pinyinjī ròu

Meaning

  • nounmuscle

Example

运动后我的肌肉很疼。yùn dòng hòu wǒ de jī ròu hěn téng

My muscles are very sore after exercising.

Illustration for 肌肉 (muscle)

More examples

老人的肌肉随着年龄逐渐减少。lǎo rén de jī ròu suí zhe nián líng zhú jiàn jián shǎo

Older people's muscles gradually decrease with age.

Core concept

Soft, powerful tissue that pulls the body into motion and holds it in position.

Common phrases

  • 肌肉发达jī ròu fā dá

    well-developed muscles

  • 增强肌肉力量zēng qiáng jī ròu lì liàng

    increase muscle strength

Similar words

皮肤pí fū: The soft outer covering of the body that senses touch and protects against the outside.
骨头gǔ tou: Hard tissue inside the body that gives it shape and support.
关节guān jié: A place where two bones meet, allowing a body part to bend or turn.

Definition in Chinese

存在于人体内，由许多细长的肌纤维构成，能够收缩并产生张力，从而驱动身体运动和维持姿势的组织。cún zài yú rén tǐ nèi yóu xǔ duō xì cháng de jī xiān wéi gòu chéng néng gòu shōu suō bìng chǎn shēng zhāng lì cóng ér qū dòng shēn tǐ yùn dòng hé wéi chí zī shì de zǔ zhī

Word origin

肌肉 (jīròu, "muscle") joins 肌 (jī, "skin or flesh") with 肉 (ròu, "flesh"), giving the body's working flesh a direct two-character name.

Usage tips

  • When a specific muscle is counted, Chinese normally uses a measure word instead of an English plural ending, making number clear from the surrounding expression.

Opposites

Related words

  • 肌肉萎缩jī ròu wěi suōmuscle atrophynoun
  • 肌肉量jī ròu liàngmuscle massnoun

Word lists with this word