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身躯 (shēn qū) — body, physique

Definition

A formal, written term for the physical body as a whole, especially large or imposing builds. More literary than 身体 or the colloquial 身子; not about shape (身材) or limbs (肢体).

noun
bodyphysique
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 身躯，。
    Tā tǐng qǐ shēn qū, xiǎn de hěn yǒu jīng shén.
    He straightened his body and looked very energetic.
  • 身躯，。
    Niú de shēn qū hěn dà, néng lā hěn zhòng de dōng xī.
    An ox's body is big and can pull very heavy things.
  • 身躯。
    Yùn dòng yuán de shēn qū dōu hěn jiàn kāng.
    Athletes' bodies are all very healthy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

身shēnbody
躯qūtorso

身 and 躯 both refer to the body, together naming the whole physical form.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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 軀; 躯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
身身shēnbody
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū軀qū
Same sound today

The traditional form 軀 puts 身, a body, beside 區, which gives the sound. The simplified 躯 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 躯 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Body Parts

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