肢 (zhī) — (bound form) limb (arm or leg)

Definition

A bound morpheme meaning 'limb (arm or leg)'. It only appears in compounds like 肢体 or 上/下肢, never as a standalone word.

bound form
limb (arm or leg)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā de shàng zhī shòu shāng le.
    His upper limb was injured.
  • 。
    Bìng rén de xià zhī xū yào kāng fù xùn liàn.
    The patient's lower limbs need rehabilitation training.
  • 。
    Tā de zhī tǐ hěn líng huó.
    His limbs are very flexible.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
支
支zhī肢zhī
Same sound today

肢 pairs 肉 (flesh) with 支, which gives the sound.

Appears in
Body Parts

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