肩胛骨 (jiān jiǎ gū) — scapula, shoulder blade

Definition

noun

scapulashoulder blade

Measure word · 块

肩胛骨。
Yī shēng de zhěn duàn shū lǐ tí dào le tā de jiān jiǎ gū.
The doctor's diagnosis mentioned his scapula.
肩胛骨。
Zhè kuài jiān jiǎ gū hé jiān bǎng de qí tā gǔ tou lián jiē zài yì qǐ.
This scapula connects with the other bones of the shoulder.
，肩胛骨。
Yùn dòng yuán zài zuò fǔ wò chēng shí, jiān jiǎ gū huì xiàng hòu shōu jǐn.
When athletes do push-ups, the scapula tightens backward.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

肩胛shoulder blade

肩jiānshoulder胛jiǎshoulder blade

联合Coordinate

肩胛 names the shoulder blade, and 骨 names bone, together the shoulder-blade bone.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

肩 combines a shoulder shape with a flesh part to show a shoulder.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

肉肉ròuflesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

甲

Same sound today

胛 has 肉 (flesh) on one side to show a body part, and 甲 on the other side to give its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

冎

冎guǎ骨gǔ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Appears in