noun HSK 2
meat · flesh · pulp (of fruit)
Meaning
肉 refers to meat in general, the edible flesh of animals. It's one of the most fundamental food-related words in Chinese. The character originally depicted a piece of meat and is also used as a radical in many characters related to body parts and flesh.
Usage
Used both as a standalone noun and in compounds specifying types of meat (猪肉, 牛肉, etc.). In everyday speech, 肉 without qualification often defaults to pork in Chinese cuisine contexts. Can also refer to the fleshy part of fruits or the physical body.
Examples
- 01我今天买了一些猪肉和牛肉。.I bought some pork and beef today.
- 02这道菜里没有肉，是素的。, .This dish has no meat, it's vegetarian.
Measure words
- 块一块肉
- 片一片肉
- 斤两斤肉
Common collocations
- 吃肉to eat meat
- 肉类meat products, meats
- 肥肉fatty meat
- 瘦肉lean meat
Antonyms
Origin
The character 肉 is a pictograph depicting a piece of meat with visible muscle fibers. As a radical (月 when written on the side), it appears in characters related to body parts and flesh.