筋肉
kinniku[kʲĩɲ̟ːikɯ̟]
The English word 'muscle' is translated into Japanese as 筋肉 (kinniku). If unsure, use 筋肉. Wiktionary also lists 筋 (suji).
Meaning: contractile tissue (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 筋肉 | kinniku | [kʲĩɲ̟ːikɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 筋 | suji | [sɨʑi] (narrow) |
The word refers to contractile tissue.
Which one should you use?
筋肉 is the standard, full noun for 'muscle' used in medical or general contexts. In contrast, 筋 is a shortened form often used in compound words related to physical training, such as 筋トレ (muscle training).
How do you pronounce it?
kinniku
Did you know?
- The phrase 筋が通っている (suji ga tootte iru) literally means 'the muscle/fiber passes through'. It is used to say that someone's logic is consistent or that their argument makes sense.
- In Japanese culture, the term 筋 (suji) can refer to a 'lineage' or 'family connection'. This treats family history as a biological fiber connecting ancestors to descendants.
- The character 筋 is also used to describe the 'grain' in wood or the 'veins' in a leaf, showing its connection to 'lines' or 'fibers'.
Examples in context
- この薬は筋肉痛を和らげる。This medicine helps relieve muscle pain.This sentence shows how to use 筋肉 when discussing relieving muscle pain.Tatoeba #219289 by bunbuku, translation #56605 by CK
- この貯金箱、軽すぎて筋トレには不向きね。This savings box is so light that you can't even use it for muscle training.This sentence shows how the shortened form 筋 is used in the context of muscle training.Tatoeba #9699181 by small_snow, translation #10074816 by tsp_2
- 最近、筋トレやってなくてさ、筋肉が落ちちゃったんだ。Recently, I haven't been working out, so I've lost a bit of muscle.This sentence uses 筋肉 to describe losing muscleTatoeba #10765508 by bunbuku, translation #10766752 by end
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are talking about a gym workout.
- 結衣 Yui陽太さんは、筋肉がすごいです。Youtasan wa, kinniku ga sugoi desu.Yota, your muscles are amazing.
- 陽太 Yota毎日、筋肉を鍛えているんだ。Mainichi, kinniku o kitaete iru n da.I train my muscles every day.
- 結衣 Yui私も筋肉をつけたいです。Watashi mo kinniku o tsuketai desu.I want to build muscle too.
- 陽太 Yota一緒にジムに行こうよ。Issho ni jimu ni ikou yo.Let's go to the gym together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “muscle” translations and entries 筋肉, 筋, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
