骨

2 readings · tap one to hear it

bone

Sound it out + = · + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Flesh ⺼ and bones 冎

Components 冎⺼

skeleton · Heisig RSH #1053

part of the body + crown

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
主心骨	zhǔ xīn gǔ	backbone; mainstay; pillar; definite view; one's own judgment
骨子里	gǔ zi lǐ	beneath the surface; fundamentally; at the deepest level
老骨头	lǎo gǔ tou	weary old body (colloquial term, used jocularly or irreverently)
骨头节儿	gǔ tou jié r	joint (of the skeleton)
骨子	gǔ zi	ribs; frame
头骨	tóu gǔ	skull
骨头	gǔ tou	bone; CL:根[gen1],塊\|块[kuai4]; moral character; bitterness; Taiwan pr. [gu2 tou5]
节骨眼儿	jiē gu yǎn r	erhua variant of 節骨眼\|节骨眼[jie1 gu5 yan3]
身子骨	shēn zi gǔ	(coll.) physique; physical constitution; health
白骨	bái gǔ	bones of the dead
骨化	gǔ huà	to ossify; ossification
龙骨车	lóng gǔ chē	water wheel
骨气	gǔ qì	unyielding character; courageous spirit; integrity; moral backbone
骨法	gǔ fǎ	bone structure and physiognomy; the strength observed in brushstrokes (Chinese calligraphy…
骨力	gǔ lì	(Chinese calligraphy) vigor of brushstrokes; fortitude; toughness; spine
风骨	fēng gǔ	strength of character; vigorous style (of calligraphy)
皮包骨头	pí bāo gǔ tóu	to be all skin and bones (idiom); also written 皮包骨[pi2 bao1 gu3]
成骨不全症	chéng gǔ bù quán zhèng	osteogenesis imperfecta (OI); brittle bone disease
成骨	chéng gǔ	bone formation; osteogenesis
骨器	gǔ qì	bone tool (archaeology)

These characters use 骨 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
骨 sound part	gǔ	bone; skeleton; frame, framework
滑	huá	to slip, to slide; slippery, polished
猾	huá	crafty, cunning, shrewd; deceitful
鹘	hú	a kind of pigeon; treron permagna