脑筋

腦筋

nǎojīn

noun HSK 7 #9,905

Meanings

1 brain; mind; mental agility
2 way of thinking; ideas

Characters

muscle; tendon; sinew

Brain sinews — the mental muscles you use to think.

Examples

动动脑筋想一想。

Dòng dong nǎojīn xiǎng yī xiǎng.

Use your brain and think about it.

他脑筋转得很快。

Tā nǎojīn zhuǎn de hěn kuài.

He's quick-witted.

别在这种事上动脑筋。

Bié zài zhè zhǒng shì shàng dòng nǎojīn.

Don't waste your brainpower on this kind of thing.

Tips

usage

Common expressions: 动脑筋 (use one's brain), 脑筋急转弯 (brain teaser/riddle), 死脑筋 (stubborn/inflexible thinking). 脑筋 emphasizes mental agility, while 大脑 (dànǎo) is the physical brain.

Stroke Order

脑 nǎo

筋 jīn