骨骼
gǔgé
The English word skeleton can be translated into Chinese as 骨骼 (gǔgé) or 骸骨.
Meaning: system that provides support to an organism (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 骨骼 | gǔgé |
| 骸骨 | háigǔ |
In Chinese, the term you choose depends on whether you are discussing a biological system or physical remains. 骨骼 is used to describe the biological skeletal system or the structural framework of bones within a living organism. 骸骨 is used to refer specifically to the skeletal remains of a dead organism, such as the bones of a corpse or an archaeological find.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 骨骼 is composed of 骨 (bone) and 骼 (the structural part of the bone/skeletal frame). The word 骸骨 is composed of 骸 (remains/debris) and 骨 (bone).
Which one should you use?
Use 骨骼 when you mean the skeletal system or the general bone structure of an organism. Use 骸骨 when you mean skeletal remains or the bones of a corpse.
How do you pronounce it?
gǔgé
Did you know?
- The phrase 脱胎换骨 literally means 'shedding the fetus and changing the bones' to describe a complete personal transformation or rebirth.
- While 骨骼 refers to the biological skeleton, the word 骨 (bone) is used in the idiom 骨肉 to describe close family members, literally translating to 'bones and meat'.
- In Chinese, if you were to describe the 'skeleton' of a building or a machine, you would likely use the word 骨架 (gǔjià) instead of 骨骼.
Examples in context
- 探险家们在洞穴里发现了骸骨。The explorers discovered a skeleton in the cave.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 骸骨 when referring to skeletal remains found in a cave.Tatoeba #4760083 by ryanwoo, translation #276708 by CK
- 这个博物馆有一具令人印象深刻的恐龙骨架The museum has an impressive dinosaur skeleton.
- 在解剖学中学习骨骼系统是必要的Learning about the skeletal system is essential in anatomy.
- 万圣节的装饰品里有一个假骷髅The Halloween decorations included a fake skeleton.
- 人类的骨骼由很多块组成。Rénlèi de gǔgé yóu hěnduō kuài zǔchéng.The human skeleton is composed of many pieces.
Example conversation
Two students are studying for a biology exam in the library.
- 浩然 Haoran你背过人体骨骼的名称吗？Nǐ bèiguò réntǐ gǔgé de míngchēng ma?Have you memorized the names of the human skeleton?
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，我觉得这部分很难记。Hàorán, wǒ juédé zhè bùfèn hěn nán jì.Haoran, I think this part is hard to remember.
- 浩然 Haoran我们可以一起看人体模型。Wǒmen kěyǐ yīqǐ kàn réntǐ móxíng.We can look at the human model together.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那真是太好了，谢谢你。Nà zhēnshi tài hǎole, xièxiè nǐ.That is wonderful, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “skeleton” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
