筋
jīn · HSK 7
muscle
💪 筋 = bamboo 竹 + flesh 月 + strength 力; the strong fibers in meat are muscle and tendon
Decomposes as 竹 (bamboo, hinting at long stringy fibers) over 月 (the flesh/body radical) plus 力 (force/strength). Fibrous strength inside flesh = muscle or tendon. The jin sound also shows up in 筋肉 jīnròu, muscle tissue.
筋 — bamboo 竹 + flesh 月(肉) + strength 力
A semantic compound: 月 (flesh) shows it relates to the body, 力 (strength) hints at muscular force, and 竹 (bamboo) suggests fibers like bamboo strands. Together they depict the sinews or tendons that give the body its strength.