Onyomi: ニク · Kunyomi: しし · Meanings: meat
Kanji for meat
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The kanji 肉 originally depicted a piece of meat, showing the shape of flesh with a clear outline. In ancient times, it represented the essential food that provides strength and nourishment. Beyond literal meat, 肉 came to symbolize the body and flesh itself — the physical substance that supports life and movement.
A simple image of flesh or meat — 肉 means meat or body, the substance that nourishes and supports life.
Picture a piece of meat or the human body — that’s 肉, the kanji representing flesh, nutrition, and the body itself.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 肉 | にく | flesh | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 肉 | しし | flesh (esp. of an animal), meat | Noun |
| 肉体 | にくたい | the body, the flesh, the outer man, one's physique | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 肉親 | にくしん | blood relationship, blood relative | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 肉眼 | にくがん | naked eye | common Noun |
| 肉離れ | にくばなれ | pulled or torn muscle | Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 肉体的 | にくたいてき | bodily, physical, corporeal | common Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |
| 肉食 | にくしょく | meat eating, eating of meat, meat diet | common Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 肉屋 | にくや | butcher's shop, butcher, meat shop | Noun |
| 肉体労働 | にくたいろうどう | manual or physical labor, manual or physical labour | Noun |