里脊 (lǐ jí) — tenderloin (pork, beef, etc.)

Definition

里脊 (lǐjí) refers to the tenderloin — the most tender cut of meat along the spine of pork or beef. As a food/cooking term, it is a countable portion (一块里脊, 牛里脊) rather than a whole animal part.

noun
tenderloin (pork, beef, etc.)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 里脊。
    Zhè dào cài de lǐ jí hěn nèn.
    The tenderloin in this dish is very tender.
  • 里脊。
    Wǒ mǎi le bàn jīn zhū lǐ jí.
    I bought half a jin of pork tenderloin.
  • 里脊里脊。
    Niú lǐ jí bǐ zhū lǐ jí gèng guì.
    Beef tenderloin is more expensive than pork tenderloin.

Origin

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.

里lǐinner
脊jǐspine

里 gives inner and 脊 gives spine, so the term names the inner muscle along the backbone.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

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
朿
朿cì脊jǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The original drawing of 脊 showed a fish spine; later 肉 (flesh) was added to point to the meaning, while the upper 朿 part supplied the sound.

Open 脊 →

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