腎 meaning and stroke order
Kidney
How to write 腎, stroke by stroke
12 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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- 12
Meaning of 腎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- kidney
How 腎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flesh.
⺼ gives the meaning and 臤 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 腎
The bottom part ⺼ is the flesh radical, telling you this is a body organ. The top part 臤 gives the sound, so think of 腎 (shèn) as "the organ of flesh sitting under 臤."
腎 (shèn) usually appears in compounds rather than alone, such as 腎臟 (shènzàng) for the kidney as an organ, and it is common in medical and health talk. Example: 他的腎有問題。(Tā de shèn yǒu wèntí.) His kidneys have a problem.
Common mistake: Learners often read the bottom ⺼ as 月 (moon) and miss that it means flesh, which is the clue to the meaning. Also note that 腎 is the traditional form and 肾 is the simplified form used in mainland China, so the common words listed here appear simplified.
Common words with 腎
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 腎上腺素 | shènshàngxiànsù | adrenaline | |
| 腎臟 | shènzàng | kidney |
Questions about 腎
How many strokes are in 腎?
腎 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 腎 mean?
腎 (shèn) means kidney. A common word with it is 肾上腺素 (shènshàngxiànsù), meaning "adrenaline".
How do you pronounce 腎?
腎 is pronounced shèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 腎?
The radical of 腎 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 腎 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 腎?
腎 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 肾, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 腎 mean in traditional Chinese medicine?
In traditional Chinese medicine, 腎 refers to more than the physical kidney. It is linked to vitality and energy, so phrases like 補腎 (bǔ shèn, to tonify the kidneys) are common in health products and ads.
How do you say adrenaline using 腎?
Adrenaline is 腎上腺素 (shènshàngxiànsù), literally "the hormone of the gland on top of the kidney." In simplified characters it is written 肾上腺素.