肩膀
jiānbǎng
The English word shoulder is 肩膀 (jiānbǎng) in Chinese. Wiktionary also lists 肩 (jiān).
Meaning: joint between arm and torso (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 肩膀 | jiānbǎng |
| 肩 | jiān |
Both forms refer to the joint between the arm and the torso. When you want to describe physical sensations, such as an ache or pain in the shoulder, 肩膀 is the most natural noun to use.
What does it mean word for word?
The single character 肩 means shoulder. The disyllabic word 肩膀 is formed by combining 肩 (shoulder) and 帮 (side, flank or armpit area).
Which one should you use?
肩 is often used in formal anatomical terms or within compound words, whereas 肩膀 is the standard way to refer to the body part in everyday speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 肩膀 is a disyllabic noun.
How do you pronounce it?
jiānbǎng
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the phrase 挑大梁 involves 'carrying a heavy beam' on the shoulders, which is used metaphorically to describe taking on the primary responsibility for a project or family.
- The character 肩 may share a common linguistic ancestor with the Thai word for 'arm', แขน, as both may trace back to ancient regional roots describing limbs.
- The word 肩 appears in the term 肩负, which literally means 'to carry on the shoulders' but is used as a formal verb meaning 'to be charged with' or 'to bear' a responsibility.
Examples in context
- 我的肩膀很痠。My shoulder really aches.This sentence is useful for describing an ache in the shoulder using 肩.Tatoeba #2256354 by cienias, translation #2262981 by CM
- 我昨天肩膀受伤了。I hurt my shoulder yesterday.This sentence is useful for stating that the shoulder was injured using 肩.Tatoeba #13994933 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #5597141 by CK
- 汤姆给玛丽冷的肩膀。Tom gave Mary the cold shoulder.This sentence is useful for the English idiom of giving the cold shoulder using 肩.Tatoeba #5691295 by verdastelo9604, translation #1094017 by CK
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a physical workout.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你今天练了肩膀吗？Nǐ jīntiān liànle jiānbǎng ma?Did you train your shoulders today?
- 伟 Wei是的，我的肩膀现在很累。Shì de, wǒ de jiānbǎng xiànzài hěn lèi.Yes, my shoulders are very tired now.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen要不要我帮你按摩一下肩膀？Yào bùyào wǒ bāng nǐ ànmó yīxià jiānbǎng?Do you want me to massage your shoulders for you?
- 伟 Wei不用了，谢谢你。Bùyòng le, xièxiè nǐ.No need, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shoulder” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 肩, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
