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What is the Kanji for 'Shoulder'? | 肩

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Shoulder', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Shoulder' is 肩.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Shoulder

    Reading

    kunyomiかた

    kata

    onyomiけん

    ken

    Parts

    Door Meat

    Example Word

    肩: shoulder. The Japanese noun '肩 (かた)' means 'shoulder'. This word refers to the part of the body where the arm connects to the torso. It is commonly used in everyday conversation and can also appear in idiomatic expressions. For example: my shoulder hurts「肩が痛い」(かたがいたい). He patted me on the shoulder「彼は私の肩を叩いた」(かれはわたしのかたをたたいた). In Japanese culture, the shoulder can also symbolize responsibility or burden, as in '肩の荷が下りる (かたのにがおりる)', which means 'to be relieved of a burden'.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    8

    JLPT

    N2

    Grade

    7

    Frequency

    692

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    Meaning

    Door

    kanji

    Meaning

    Meat

Words Using

This kanji is used in 1 word:

    word

    Meaning

    Shoulder

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 7 kanji contain the part 戸 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Place

    kanji

    Meaning

    Employ, Hire

    kanji

    Meaning

    Tassel, Chamber

    kanji

    Meaning

    Furnace

    kanji

    Meaning

    Door, Front door

    kanji

    Meaning

    Fan, Folding fan

    kanji

    Meaning

    Enlighten, State respectfully

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 20 kanji contain the part 肉 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Remove, Undress

    kanji

    Meaning

    Brain

    kanji

    Meaning

    Entrails, Viscera

    kanji

    Meaning

    Loins, Waist

    kanji

    Meaning

    Back, Height

    kanji

    Meaning

    Bone

    kanji

    Meaning

    Intestine

    kanji

    Meaning

    Liver

    kanji

    Meaning

    Assent, Agreement

    kanji

    Meaning

    Lung

    kanji

    Meaning

    Fat, Grease

    kanji

    Meaning

    Skin

    kanji

    Meaning

    Leg

    kanji

    Meaning

    Womb, Uterus

    kanji

    Meaning

    Limb, Arms & legs

    kanji

    Meaning

    Gallbladder, Guts

    kanji

    Meaning

    Threaten

    kanji

    Meaning

    Rot

    kanji

    Meaning

    Resemble, Resemblance

    kanji

    Meaning

    Stature, Height

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 肩 mean?

肩 means 'Shoulder'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Junior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N2 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.