腱
ken
In Japanese, 'tendon' is translated as 腱 (ken). Wiktionary also lists 筋 (suji).
Meaning: band of fibrous tissue (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 腱 | ken | |
| 筋 | suji | [sɨʑi] (narrow) |
The term is used to refer to a band of fibrous tissue.
Which one should you use?
腱 (ken) refers specifically to the anatomical tendon. In contrast, 筋 (suji) is a more general term that is often used in a colloquial or broader sense to refer to muscle or muscle fibers.
How do you pronounce it?
ken
Did you know?
- The word 筋 (suji) is used in many contexts beyond anatomy, such as describing the 'plot' or 'logic' of a story or an argument.
- In certain contexts, 筋 (suji) can also refer to the 'grain' or 'texture' of wood, showing how the concept of a physical fiber extends to natural materials.
- The word 筋 (suji) is used in the term 筋道 (sujimichi), which refers to the proper way of doing things or the 'correct channel' for a request.
Examples in context
- ４年ほど前にアキレス腱が痛くなりアキレス腱炎といわれました。About four years ago my Achilles tendon started to hurt and I was told it was Achilles tendonitis.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 腱 when discussing an Achilles tendon injury.Tatoeba #75106 by fcbond, translation #328613 by fcbond
- この腱が痛むことがあります。Kono ken ga itamu koto ga arimasu.This tendon sometimes hurts.
- 腱の損傷に注意してください。Ken no sonshou ni chuui shite kudasai.Please be careful of tendon damage.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about a sports injury.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんはどこか痛むの？Kenta-san wa dokoka itamu no?Kenta, are you hurting somewhere?
- 健太 Kenta足の腱を少し痛めてしまいました。Ashi no ken o sukoshi itamete shimaimashita.I have slightly injured a tendon in my leg.
- 美咲 Misakiそれは大変ですね。Sore wa taihen desu ne.That sounds tough.
- 健太 Kentaはい、しばらく安静にします。Hai, shibaraku ansei ni shimasu.Yes, I will rest for a while.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tendon” translations and entries 腱, 筋, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
