肕 (rèn) - Tough, pliable, resilient & refers to something that is firm yet flexible,

肕Tone 4

rèn ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 月

仁荣

肕 · rèn

Tough, pliable, resilient;

refers to something that is firm yet flexible, like sinew or tendon.

Tough, pliable, resilientrefers to something that is firm yet flexible,

Usage highlights

Tough meatPliable leatherStrong tendonsResilient textureFirm and flexible

Synonyms

  • 韧— tough, tenacious
  • 坚韧— firm and tenacious
  • 柔韧— pliable and tough

Antonyms

  • 脆— brittle, fragile
  • 软— soft, weak

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The meat is very tough (肉很肕).
  • This leather is pliable (皮革很肕).
  • He has strong tendons (他的筋很肕).

Collocations

  • Tough meat(肕肉)
  • Pliable leather(肕革)
  • Strong tendons(筋肕)
  • Resilient texture(质地肕)
  • Firm and flexible(坚肕)

Idioms

  • As tough as sinew(坚如筋肕)
  • Firm yet flexible(刚柔并肕)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 肕 is composed of the 'meat/flesh' radical (月) and the phonetic component 刃 (blade), suggesting something that resists cutting.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts, the concept of 'tendon strength' (筋力) is important, and 肕 describes this quality of resilience.

FAQ