How to Write 筋 (jīn) — Meaning “Muscle; tendon; vein”

Imagine that your muscles are like strong bamboo strips (⺮) running through your flesh (⺼), and when you flex them, you feel strength (力). This mental picture connects the three components to the meaning of muscle and tendon.

Make sure the top bamboo part (⺮) is wide and balanced, and the bottom left part (⺼) looks like the flesh radical with two horizontal strokes, not like the moon radical (月). Also note that the right side (力) should be slightly smaller and placed next to the flesh part.

All three have the bamboo top, but their bottoms differ: 筋 has 肉+力 (flesh + strength), 笑 has 夭 (a person laughing), and 笔 has 毛 (hair/brush). Remember that 筋 is about body strength, while 笑 is a laugh and 笔 is a writing tool.

筋 appears in common words like 脑筋 (brains, way of thinking), 抽筋 (cramp), and 面筋 (wheat gluten). In Chinese medicine, 筋 refers to tendons and ligaments, and the phrase 伤筋动骨 means injure tendons and bones, implying serious harm.

Common words containing 筋 include: 脑筋 (nǎo jīn) — brains; way of thinking; 抽筋 (chōu jīn) — cramp; 面筋 (miàn jīn) — Wheat gluten.