How to Write 胗 (zhēn) — Meaning “Gizzard”

Picture a chicken gizzard (胗) shaped like a small ear (卩) on a piece of meat (月). The right side 刌 looks like a little ear, and the left side 月 reminds you it's a meaty organ.

Pay attention to the right side: it consists of 丶 (dot) over 丨 (vertical stroke) then 丿 (left-falling) and 乛 (horizontal hook), not the character 刂 (knife). The radical 月 should be narrow and tall, while the right side is slightly wider.

Unlike 朊 (ruǎn, meaning soft or a type of protein) which has 元 on the right, 胗 has a different right component that hints at its pronunciation zhēn. 朋 (péng, friend) is completely different; it has two 月 side by side and no relation to body parts or food.

胗 is commonly used in Chinese cuisine, especially in dishes like 鸡胗 (chicken gizzard) and 鸭胗 (duck gizzard), which are popular snacks or stir-fry ingredients. It appears on menus and in grocery stores but is rarely used in everyday conversation outside food contexts.

Common words containing 胗 include: 鸡胗 (jī zhēn) — Chicken gizzard; 鸭胗 (yā zhēn) — Duck gizzard; 胗肝 (zhēn gān) — Gizzard and liver.