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JLPT N119画 · 19 strokesradical 骨freq #1652

marrow, pith, essence

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ズイ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

Mnemonic

The marrow inside bones is the essence of life, like a wise sage's pithy advice, hidden deep within the skull for all to share.

About this kanji

The kanji 髄 means "marrow" or "essence" and is primarily used in noun forms. You won’t find a kun’yomi reading for this kanji, so it mostly appears in compounds. Some common examples include 骨髄 (こつずい), which means "bone marrow," and 真髄 (しんずい), meaning "essence." Another important term is 脊髄 (せきずい), which refers to the "spinal cord." This kanji is often used in medical contexts, especially when discussing vital components of the body. It can be important to remember that 髄 is not commonly used on its own, so you'll mostly see it as part of these compounds.

Example sentences

  • 骨髄移植は難しい手術です。

    Bone marrow transplantation is a difficult surgery.

Meanings across languages

English
marrow, pith, essence
Tiếng Việt
tuỷ
日本語
한국어
수장
中文
id
sumsum
th
ไขกระดูก
es
médula
fr
moelle
de
Mark, Essenz
pt
medula

Common compounds

  • 骨髄こつずいbone marrow, medulla, heart's core
  • 真髄しんずいessence, quintessence, spirit
  • 髄膜炎ずいまくえんmeningitis
  • 脊髄せきずいspinal cord
  • 延髄えんずいmedulla oblongata
  • 歯髄しずいpulp (of a tooth), dental pulp
  • 精髄せいずいessence, kernel, spirit
  • 脳髄のうずいbrain, encephalon

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