Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 肘 | zhǒu |
| 肘部 | zhǒubù |
| 胳膊肘兒 / 胳膊肘儿 | gēbozhǒur |
| 胳膊肘子 | gēbozhǒuzi |
| 手肘 | shǒuzhǒu |
The term refers to the joint between the upper arm and the forearm. While 肘 serves as the core noun, it is frequently used in compound words or formal anatomical contexts. You can also use 手肘, which literally means 'hand-elbow', to specify the joint.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term 肘部 is composed of 肘 (elbow) and 部 (part, section or area), meaning 'elbow part'.
Which one should you use?
肘 is the fundamental noun for the elbow, whereas 肘部 is more common when specifically referring to the anatomical region. In contrast to these, the colloquial forms like 胳膊肘儿 or 胳膊肘子 are used in casual speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
肘部 is a formal term. For a more colloquial and spoken style, you can use 胳膊肘儿.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to express the action of pushing with the elbow, you can use the verb phrase 用肘推.
How do you pronounce it?
zhǒu
Did you know?
- The colloquial term 胳膊肘 can be used in the idiom 把胳膊肘往外拐, which literally means 'to bend one's elbow outwards'.
- The character 肘 was originally written as 寸, which is a symbol for a hand with a stroke outlining the elbow. To avoid confusion with the common word for 'inch' or 'measure', the 'flesh' radical 肉 was added to the side.
- In Chinese, the word for 'elbow' 肘 is historically linked to the 'cubit', an ancient measurement of length based on the distance from the elbow to the fingertips.
Examples in context
- 我的手肘還在痛。My elbow still hurts.This sentence is useful for describing pain in the 肘.Tatoeba #4490199 by egg0073, translation #3436691 by CK
- 湯姆碰了我的胳膊肘。Tom touched my elbow.This sentence is useful for describing someone touching the 肘.Tatoeba #10281807 by DaoSeng, translation #5941952 by Hybrid
- 他受伤了，肘部可能有骨折。He got injured, and there might be a fracture in his elbow.
- 在仪式上，弯起一只手臂，五指似鹰爪，手肘呈一个角度。During the ceremony, bend your arm with fingers resembling eagle claws, forming an angle at the elbow.
- 他的肘部受伤了。Tā de zhǒubù shòushāng le.His elbow is injured.
Example conversation
Two friends are sitting in a cafe.
- 雨婷 Yuting你的肘部怎么了？Nǐ de zhǒubù zěnme le?What happened to your elbow?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我不小心撞到了桌角。Wǒ bù xiǎoxīn zhuàng dào le zhuōjiǎo.I accidentally hit the corner of the table.
- 雨婷 Yuting看起来很疼吧？Kàn qǐlái hěn téng ba?It looks very painful, doesn't it?
- 志强 Zhiqiang是啊，有点肿了。Shì a, yǒudiǎn zhǒng le.Yes, it's a bit swollen.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “elbow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 肘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
