Meaning
Whether you are ordering at a local izakaya or browsing a Japanese supermarket, the kanji 肉 is unavoidable. It primarily refers to edible meat like beef, pork, or chicken. Beyond the dinner table, it also signifies the 'flesh' of the human body or physical existence as opposed to the spirit.
This kanji originated as a pictograph of a slab of meat. Ancient versions show a cut of meat with the grain of the muscle or ribs visible inside. The outer frame (冂) represents the silhouette of the cut. The two internal strokes resemble the connective tissue or rib bones. This visual history makes it easy to remember as 'meat on the bone.'
Japanese children learn this 6-stroke character in the 2nd grade. When it appears as a radical inside other kanji, it often changes shape. In characters like liver (肝) or stomach (胃), it looks exactly like the moon radical (月). This version is called niku-zuki (the 'meat-moon'). When it stands alone, however, it keeps its distinct boxy shape.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The standard reading is ニク (niku). Unlike many kanji that require a second character to form a word, 肉 (niku) is frequently used alone as a noun. It appears in countless compounds related to biology, food, and physical traits.
Example compounds using ニク:
- 牛肉 (gyuuniku) — Beef
- 筋肉 (kinniku) — Muscle (literally 'tendon meat')
- 肉屋 (nikuya) — Butcher shop
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
Modern Japanese rarely uses a native reading for this kanji. You may occasionally encounter the archaic reading しし (shishi) in historical texts or specific names. In the past, shishi referred specifically to the meat of wild game like deer or boar. Today, the reading niku has almost entirely replaced it in daily life.
Examples of the archaic reading (rare):
- 肉 (shishi) — Flesh or meat (archaic)
- 鹿肉 (kanoshishi) — Venison (The modern term is shikaniku)
Common Words & Compounds
In Japan, different types of meat are named by simply attaching the animal's name to the front of 肉. This makes it one of the easiest vocabulary patterns to learn for food lovers.
Common Food Items:
- 豚肉 (butaniku) — Pork
- 鶏肉 (toriniku) — Chicken meat
- 羊肉 (youniku) — Lamb or mutton
- 挽き肉 (hikiniku) — Ground meat or mince
- 焼き肉 (yakiniku) — Japanese BBQ (literally 'grilled meat')
Body and Abstract Meanings:
The kanji also describes the physical body or specific abstract concepts. A common example is the word for 'irony,' which suggests a comment sharp enough to pierce through the skin to the flesh.
- 肉体 (nikutai) — The physical body
- 皮肉 (hiniku) — Irony or sarcasm
- 肉親 (nikushin) — Blood relative
- 肉食 (nikushoku) — Carnivorous / Meat-eating diet
- 肉眼 (nikugan) — The naked eye
Example Sentences
今日は夕食に肉を食べました。
kyou wa yuushoku ni niku wo tabemashita.
I ate meat for dinner today.
スーパーで牛肉を安く買いました。
suupaa de gyuuniku wo yasuku kaimashita.
I got a good deal on beef at the supermarket.
彼女は鶏肉が好きではありません。
kanojo wa toriniku ga suki dewa arimasen.
She doesn't like chicken.
週末、友達と焼肉に行きます。
shuumatsu, tomodachi to yakiniku ni ikimasu.
I'm going out for Japanese BBQ with my friends this weekend.
毎日運動して、筋肉をつけたいです。
mainichi undou shite, kinniku wo tsuketai desu.
I want to exercise every day and build some muscle.
彼の言葉には皮肉がたっぷりと含まれていました。
kare no kotoba ni wa hiniku ga tappuri to fukumarete imashita.
His words were dripping with irony.
最近は健康のために、あまり肉を食べないようにしています。
saikin wa kenkou no tame ni, amari niku wo tabenai you ni shite imasu.
Lately, I've been trying to eat less meat for my health.
あの星は肉眼でもはっきりと見えます。
ano hoshi wa nikugan demo hakkiri to miemasu.
That star is clearly visible even to the naked eye.
Related Kanji
- 便 — Convenience, Facility, Communication (Kanji N4)
- 工 — Craft, Construction, Work (Kanji N4)
- 飯 — Meal, Cooked Rice, Food (Kanji N4)
- 近 — Near, Close, Recent (Kanji N4)
- 力 — Power, Strength, Force (Kanji N4)
- 菜 — Vegetable, Greens, Dish (Kanji N4)
Memory Tip
Visualize this kanji as a butcher shop's window display. The outer box is the frame of the window. Inside, you see two people (人 and 人). Imagine they are actually two slabs of meat or rib racks hanging on hooks. Alternatively, remember the reading niku by thinking: "I'm going to cook some niku in my new kuisine (kitchen)!"