How to Write 脔 (luán) — Meaning “sliced meat”

Imagine a piece of meat (肉) with a knife (the bottom part looks like a blade) cutting it into slices. The sound 'luán' sounds like 'loin' — think of a loin of meat being sliced — and the character itself shows the meat and the cut.

Write the top 肉 component first (6 strokes) making it slightly wider, then the bottom part (6 strokes) which is not 月 or 肉 — it consists of a vertical line, a horizontal, and four crossing strokes. A common mistake is making the bottom too narrow or confusing it with the bottom of 腐 (府).

脔 means 'sliced meat' and has a bottom part like 䏍 (a cutting symbol). 胬 (nǔ) refers to a fleshy growth (like pterygium) and has 奴 (slave) below. 腐 (fǔ) means 'rotten' and has 府 (mansion) below. Visually, the bottom radicals are completely different, so check the lower half.

脔 is rare in daily conversation but appears in literary or formal terms like 禁脔 (exclusive possession), 脔肉 (sliced meat), and 脔割 (to dismember). The term 禁脔 comes from an ancient story about a prized cut of meat reserved for the emperor, now meaning something kept only for oneself.

Common words containing 脔 include: 禁脔 (jìn luán) — Exclusive possession; something one keeps for oneself.; 脔肉 (luán ròu) — sliced meat; 脔割 (luán gē) — to slice up; to dismember.