gan1 juk6筋肉
Jyutpinggan1 juk6
Yalegān yuhk
Definition
Muscle; muscular tissue.
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How it's used
While 筋肉 is understood in Cantonese, it is heavily influenced by Japanese and written Chinese. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people almost exclusively use 肉 or 肌肉 to refer to muscles. Using 筋肉 can sound slightly formal or like you are reading from a fitness magazine.
Examples
He exercises all the time, so his muscles are very well-developed.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 筋, which specifically refers to tendons or ligaments. Using 筋肉 in a medical context to describe a sprain might be confusing, as 筋骨 or 肌肉 is more precise depending on whether you mean the muscle tissue or the connective tissue.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
