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March 24, 2026
肉ròu(rou4)
The character 肉 (ròu) primarily means 'meat' or 'flesh' and is commonly used in various contexts relating to food. Additionally, it can refer to the pulp of fruits or describe a person as flabby or irresolute. It's often seen in compound words, such as 肉类 (ròulèi) meaning 'meat types' or 'meat products.'
Strokes6Radical肉Frequency#1184DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, meat is an important part of many traditional dishes and is often featured prominently in family meals or celebrations. The way meat is prepared and consumed can reflect regional culinary practices and social customs.
Memory Tip
Imagine a big piece of juicy meat (肉) on a grill. The character looks like a piece of meat with its rounded bottom, reminding you of its softness and juiciness. The sound 'ròu' can be remembered as 'row' where meat is lined up for a feast!
Meanings of 肉
ròu(rou4)
1meat
2flesh
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 肉
肉Simplified
6Strokes
肉Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#1184Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 肉
Podcast: 肉
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AI Study Notes for 肉
Quick Contrast
肉 (ròu) vs 肉质 (ròuzhì) — use 肉 for general 'meat' or 'flesh', while 肉质 specifically refers to the quality or texture of meat.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 肉 (ròu) with similar-sounding words. It's an informal term, so it might not be suitable for formal writing. Common collocations include 肉汤 (ròutāng) for 'meat soup' and 肉类 (ròulèi) for 'meat categories.'
HSK Study Tips
While 肉 is not specifically listed in HSK levels, it connects to HSK vocabulary related to food and nutrition. Focus on recognizing it in menus, recipes, or when discussing meals, as it's a fundamental term in culinary contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 肉 in contexts where a specific type of meat is needed, such as saying '我想要肉' (wǒ xiǎng yào ròu) without specifying the type. It's better to specify, like '我想要牛肉' (wǒ xiǎng yào niúròu) for beef.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 肉
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2On the record aspictographic — someone drew the thing itself.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 肉? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 肉?
Decomposition of 肉
IDS Structure⿻冂仌
肉Full Character
=
冂jiong1
outer
仌bing1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 肉?
How to say meat in Chinese
“meat” in Chinese is肉ròu
The character 肉 (ròu) primarily means 'meat' or 'flesh' and is commonly used in various contexts relating to food. Additionally, it can refer to the pulp of fruits or describe a person as flabby or irresolute. It's often seen in compound words, such as 肉类 (ròulèi) meaning 'meat types' or 'meat products.'
When to use 肉
Be careful not to confuse 肉 (ròu) with similar-sounding words. It's an informal term, so it might not be suitable for formal writing. Common collocations include 肉汤 (ròutāng) for 'meat soup' and 肉类 (ròulèi) for 'meat categories.'
肉 or something close to it
肉 (ròu) vs 肉质 (ròuzhì) — use 肉 for general 'meat' or 'flesh', while 肉质 specifically refers to the quality or texture of meat.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 肉 in contexts where a specific type of meat is needed, such as saying '我想要肉' (wǒ xiǎng yào ròu) without specifying the type. It's better to specify, like '我想要牛肉' (wǒ xiǎng yào niúròu) for beef.
Write 肉
肉
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Grammar Patterns of 肉
肉 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
They call rowing the perfect sport. It exercises every major muscle group.
9
这是肉眼胜过雷达的又一事例。
zhè shì ròu yǎn shèng guò léi dá de yòu yī shì lì。
It was yet another case where the human eye outperformed radar.
10
他无视传统基督教的肉体与灵魂的二元论。
tā wú shì chuán tǒng jī dū jiào de ròu tǐ yǔ líng hún de èr yuán lùn。
He ignores the traditional Christian dualism between body and soul.
11
我今天想吃点肉，你呢？
Wǒ jīntiān xiǎng chī diǎn ròu, nǐ ne?
I want to eat some meat today, how about you?
12
这家店的鸡肉很好吃。
Zhè jiā diàn de jīròu hěn hǎochī.
The chicken at this shop is very tasty.
13
你喜欢吃什么肉？
Nǐ xǐhuān chī shénme ròu?
What kind of meat do you like to eat?
14
晚餐我们吃鱼，不吃肉。
Wǎncān wǒmen chī yú, bù chī ròu.
We are having fish for dinner, not meat.
15
我买了一些猪肉来做晚饭。
Wǒ mǎi le yìxiē zhūròu lái zuò wǎnfàn.
I bought some pork to make dinner.
Word Family of 肉
Compounds12
腐fu3decay
肏
脔luan2thinly sliced meat
鴅
胔
胬nu3pterygium, surfer's eye
胾
膐
膥
臋
臠luan2thinly sliced meat
臡
Words Containing This Character20
肉ròumeat
肌肉jīròumuscle
牛肉beef
猪肉pork豬肉
鸡肉chicken meat雞肉
肉体physical body肉體
烤肉kǎoròubarbecue (lit. roast meat)
羊肉yángròumutton
肉类meat肉類
熏肉bacon燻肉
血肉flesh
肉眼naked eye
肥肉fatty meat
肉丸meatball
肉饼meat patty肉餅
瘦肉lean meat
肉桂Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia)
狗肉dog meat
骨肉kin
肉麻sickening
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 腐 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 肉
Common dishes include 红烧肉 (hóngshāoròu), which is braised pork, and 肉夹馍 (ròujiāmó), a type of meat sandwich.
Yes, 肉 generally refers to meat in general, but specific types of meat are often specified with additional words, such as 牛肉 (niúròu) for beef or 鸡肉 (jīròu) for chicken.
Yes, it can also describe the pulp of fruits or characterize someone as flabby or indecisive.
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