筋

• Pinyin: jīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 筋 = 竹 (bamboo, tough) + 肋 (phonetic) — tendon, sinew

Meaning

Tendon; sinew; muscle. The tough fibrous tissue connecting muscle to bone.

Used in medical and anatomical contexts, cooking (tendons as food), and idiomatic expressions. Common phrases include 抽筋 (cramp), 伤筋动骨 (serious injury), and 脑筋 (brains; thinking). Also refers to the chewy texture in food.

Examples

1. 他跑步时不小心扭伤了脚踝的筋，需要休养几周。 He accidentally strained a tendon in his ankle while running and needs to rest for a few weeks.
2. 这道红烧牛筋炖得软烂入味，是店里的招牌菜。 This braised beef tendon is cooked until tender and flavorful — it's the restaurant's signature dish.
3. 你别光动嘴不动脑筋，好好想想这个问题该怎么解决。 Don't just talk without using your brain — think carefully about how to solve this problem.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, cooking, idioms

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 我腿抽筋了。(I have a cramp in my leg.)
• 这牛筋真有嚼劲。(This beef tendon is really chewy.)

Don't Say

• 混淆'筋'和'肌肉' (Don't confuse 筋 with 肌肉 — 筋 is tendon/sinew, 肌肉 is muscle)

Origin & History

A pictophonetic character with 竹 (bamboo) as the radical suggesting tough, fibrous quality, and 肋 as the phonetic component. Originally referred to the tough tissue in the body.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal