肘 meaning and stroke order
Elbow, shoulder; to help someone carry a load
How to write 肘, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 肘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- elbow
- pork shoulder
How 肘 is built
Pictographic character. A arm carrying an object 寸 at the side of the body ⺼.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 肘
The left part ⺼ marks a body part, and 寸 (cùn) shows a hand with a mark near the wrist. Picture an arm bent at the side of the body, carrying something, and you have the elbow, 肘 (zhǒu).
肘 usually appears in compounds rather than alone. In everyday speech people say 手肘 (shǒuzhǒu) or 胳膊肘 (gēbozhǒu) for the elbow, and on menus 肘子 (zhǒuzi) means pork shoulder or knuckle. Example: 我的手肘很疼。 (Wǒ de shǒuzhǒu hěn téng.) My elbow hurts a lot.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 肘 (zhǒu) with 村 (cūn, village), which has the same 寸 on the right but 木 on the left. Also watch the tone. It is third tone zhǒu, not first tone zhōu like 周.
Common words with 肘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 手肘 | shǒuzhǒu | elbow |
肘 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 肘
How many strokes are in 肘?
肘 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 肘 mean?
肘 (zhǒu) means elbow, shoulder; to help someone carry a load. A common word with it is 手肘 (shǒuzhǒu), meaning "elbow".
How do you pronounce 肘?
肘 is pronounced zhǒu, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 肘?
The radical of 肘 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 肘 under this radical.
What does 胳膊肘往外拐 mean?
Literally it means the elbow bends outward. It describes someone who sides with outsiders instead of their own family or group.
Is 肘子 a common dish in China?
Yes. 肘子 (zhǒuzi) is braised pork knuckle or shoulder, and dishes like 红烧肘子 (hóngshāo zhǒuzi), red-braised pork knuckle, are popular in home cooking and restaurants.