肩 meaning and stroke order
Shoulder; to shoulder (responsibilities etc)
How to write 肩, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 肩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- shoulder
- to shoulder (responsibilities etc)
How 肩 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man bringing home meat ⺼ for the family 户.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 肩
肩 (jiān) shows a man bringing home meat ⺼ for the family 户 (hù). Picture him carrying that heavy load on his shoulders, and you have both meanings: the shoulder and bearing a burden.
In everyday speech, people usually say 肩膀 (jiānbǎng) for the body part, while 肩 alone appears in set phrases and written Chinese. 肩负 (jiānfù) is the common word for shouldering a duty or responsibility. Example: 我的肩膀很疼。(Wǒ de jiānbǎng hěn téng.) My shoulder hurts a lot.
Common mistake: Learners often write 户 on top as 尸, which turns it into a different shape. The top is 户, with the dot and the extra horizontal line, and the ⺼ tucks under its long left stroke.
Common words with 肩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 肩膀 | jiānbǎng | shoulder | HSK 7-9 |
| 肩负 | jiānfù | to shoulder (a burden); to bear | HSK 7-9 |
| 并肩作战 | bìngjiānzuòzhàn | (idiom) to fight side by side; (by extension) to join forces | |
| 披肩 | pījiān | cape; shawl | |
| 并肩 | bìngjiān | alongside; shoulder to shoulder | |
| 擦肩而过 | cājiān'érguò | to brush past; to pass by (sb); (fig.) to miss (an opportunity, a danger etc); to have a b | |
| 肩并肩 | jiānbìngjiān | shoulder to shoulder; abreast; side by side | |
| 肩部 | jiānbù | shoulder; shoulder area |
肩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 肩
How many strokes are in 肩?
肩 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 肩 mean?
肩 (jiān) means shoulder; to shoulder (responsibilities etc). A common word with it is 肩膀 (jiānbǎng), meaning "shoulder".
How do you pronounce 肩?
肩 is pronounced jiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 肩?
The radical of 肩 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 肩 under this radical.
Is 肩 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 肩 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 擦肩而过 mean?
擦肩而过 (cājiān'érguò) literally means to brush shoulders and pass by. It is often used figuratively for narrowly missing a chance, a person, or a danger.
Can I use 肩 to say someone carries a responsibility?
Yes. Use 肩负 (jiānfù), as in 肩负责任 (jiānfù zérèn), to bear responsibility. It sounds formal and is common in news and speeches.