肩胛 (jiān jiǎ) — shoulder blade, scapula; (figurative) responsib…

Definition

noun

shoulder bladescapula(figurative) responsibility or duty that one bears

Measure word · 块

肩胛。
Tā yùn dòng shí bù xiǎo xīn shāng le jiān jiǎ.
He injured his shoulder blade while exercising.
肩胛。
Yī shēng ràng wǒ duō huó dòng jiān jiǎ bù wèi.
The doctor told me to move my shoulder blade area more.
肩胛。
Zhè fù zhòng dàn yā zài tā de jiān jiǎ shàng.
This heavy burden rests on his shoulders (figurative).

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

胛jiǎshoulder blade

肩 names the shoulder and 胛 the shoulder blade, together referring to the scapula.

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.