How to say "marrow" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 芯しんnounIts 'marrow' is the soft central core of a thing, as in a plant stem — the same idea as its other senses, wick and pencil lead; not the word for the tissue inside bones.
- 心髄しんずいnounCovers 'marrow' in its figurative sense — the innermost essence or pith, the heart of a matter, an art, or a teaching. A less common word; the one for 'the very marrow of the thing.'
- 髄ずいnounA less common word, but the one that means what 'marrow' primarily means in English: the soft tissue inside the bones — the bodily sense.
For the tissue inside bones use 髄; for the figurative 'essence, pith' of something use 心髄; 芯 is the central-core word (wick, pencil lead, staple), not the word for bodily marrow.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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