Readings: キン (Onyomi), すじ (Kunyomi)
Meaning: muscle, sinew, tendon; streak, stripe; plot, thread (of a story/argument); aptitude, talent
Formed from the radical 竹 (bamboo, symbolizing straightness, flexibility, and fibrous structure) and 刀 (sword/knife, suggesting cutting or defining lines). The character conceptually represents the fibrous structure found in plants or bodies, leading to meanings like “sinew,” “thread,” and by extension, “plot” or “logic.”
View JLPT N1 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 筋 is composed of the radical 竹 (takekanmuri) on top and 刀 on the bottom right, with additional strokes. It has 12 strokes. The stroke order generally follows the top-left to bottom-right rule, starting with the bamboo radical.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 竹 |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N1 |
| Grade | Jōyō Kanji |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- キン (kin)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- すじ (suji)
Common Words Using 筋
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 筋肉 | きんにく | muscle |
| 筋力 | きんりょく | muscular strength |
| 鉄筋 | てっきん | reinforcing bar, rebar |
| 筋腫 | きんしゅ | myoma (muscle tumor) |
| 筋炎 | きんえん | myositis (muscle inflammation) |
| 筋弛緩剤 | きんしかんざい | muscle relaxant |
| 筋組織 | きんそしき | muscle tissue |
| 筋線維 | きんせんい | muscle fiber |
| 筋注 | きんちゅう | intramuscular injection |
| 筋骨 | きんこつ | muscles and bones, physique |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 筋 | すじ | muscle, sinew, tendon; streak; plot, thread; aptitude |
| 筋道 | すじみち | reason, logic, coherence; process |
| 筋書き | すじがき | plot, scenario, outline |
| 本筋 | ほんすじ | main thread, main plot, proper course |
| 大筋 | おおすじ | outline, summary, gist |
| 筋金入り | すじがねいり | dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue, reinforced with metal |
| 筋違い | すじちがい | sprain, crick; irrelevancy, off-topic |
| 筋が良い | すじがよい | talented, promising, having good aptitude |
| 筋が悪い | すじがわるい | untalented, unpromising, having bad aptitude |
| 青筋 | あおすじ | visible blue veins |
Example Sentences
Japanese: この物語の筋はとても複雑で面白い。
Kana: このものがたりのすじはとてもふくざつでおもしろい。
Romaji: Kono monogatari no suji wa totemo fukuzatsu de omoshiroi.
English: The plot of this story is very complex and interesting.
Japanese: 毎日運動して筋力を維持しています。
Kana: まいにちうんどうしてきんりょくをいじしています。
Romaji: Mainichi undō shite kinryoku o iji shite imasu.
English: I exercise every day to maintain my muscular strength.
Japanese: 彼の話はいつも筋道が通っていて分かりやすい。
Kana: かれのはなしはいつもすじみちがとおっていてわかりやすい。
Romaji: Kare no hanashi wa itsumo sujimichi ga tootte ite wakariyasui.
English: His stories always have a clear logic and are easy to understand.
Japanese: この肉は筋が多いので、調理が少し大変だ。
Kana: このにくはすじがおおいので、ちょうりがすこしたいへんだ。
Romaji: Kono niku wa suji ga ooi node, chōri ga sukoshi taihen da.
English: This meat has a lot of sinew, so cooking it is a bit difficult.
Japanese: 映画の筋書きを事前に読むのは避けている。
Kana: えいがのすじがきをじぜんに読むのはさけている。
Romaji: Eiga no suji-gaki o jizen ni yomu no wa sakete iru.
English: I avoid reading the plot of a movie beforehand.
Japanese: 建設現場では鉄筋コンクリートがよく使われる。
Kana: けんせつげんばではてっきんコンクリートがよくつかわれる。
Romaji: Kensetsu genba de wa tekkin konkuriito ga yoku tsukawareru.
English: Reinforced concrete is often used at construction sites.
Japanese: 彼は剣道の筋が良いと評判だ。
Kana: かれはけんどうのすじがよいとひょうばんだ。
Romaji: Kare wa kendō no suji ga yoi to hyōban da.
English: He has a reputation for having a good aptitude for kendo.
Japanese: 事故の大筋は警察が把握している。
Kana: じこのおおすじはけいさつがはあくしている。
Romaji: Jiko no oosuji wa keisatsu ga haaku shite iru.
English: The police have grasped the general outline of the accident.
Japanese: 疲れていると筋肉がこわばる。
Kana: つかれているときんにくがこわばる。
Romaji: Tsukarete iru to kin’niku ga kowabaru.
English: My muscles stiffen when I’m tired.
Japanese: その質問は筋違いだ。
Kana: そのしつもんはすじちがいだ。
Romaji: Sono shitsumon wa sujichigai da.
English: That question is irrelevant (or off-topic).
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