How to Write 肘 (zhǒu) — Meaning “elbow”

Imagine you are measuring the length from your shoulder to your elbow using a 'cun' (a traditional Chinese inch). The left side 月 reminds you it's a body part, and the right side 寸 looks like a small ruler. So 'flesh + inch' = the elbow, where you might measure your arm.

The left radical 月 must be written narrow and tall, with the first two strokes as a vertical downward slash and then a horizontal fold. The right side 寸 has a horizontal stroke that should cross slightly above the middle of the left radical. A common mistake is making the 月 too wide or placing the dot of 寸 too low.

肘 (elbow) has 月 on the left and 寸 on the right, while 有 (to have) has 月 on top and 又 below. 肘's right side is 寸 (hand/measure), not 又. 朊 (a rare character for a chemical compound) has 月 on the left and 元 on the right, so 肘 has a short horizontal line in 寸 instead of the two horizontal strokes in 元.

肘 is most commonly used in anatomical terms like 肘部 (elbow area) and 肘关节 (elbow joint) for medical or sports contexts. It also appears in food names like 猪肘 (pork hock), a popular braised dish. Unlike other body parts, 肘 is rarely used in idioms, but it is essential for describing arm injuries or cooking cuts of meat.

Common words containing 肘 include: 肘部 (zhǒu bù) — elbow area; 肘关节 (zhǒu guān jié) — elbow joint; 猪肘 (zhū zhǒu) — pork hock; pork knuckle.