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中肉中背 (chuunikuchuuzei) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

中ちゅう肉にく中ちゅう背ぜい

ちゅ

う

に

く

ちゅ

う

ぜ

い

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

medium build

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)›

Describes a person of average, neither fat nor thin, physique. Often used in self-descriptions or personal ads.

彼かれは中ちゅう肉にく中ちゅう背ぜいで、ごく普ふ通

つう

の

体たい

型けい

だ

。

He is of medium build, a very ordinary physique.

犯はん人にんは中ちゅう肉にく中ちゅう背ぜいの男おとこだった。

The suspect was a man of medium build.

Kanji

中in, inside, middle
肉meat
背stature, height, back

Related words

小こ太ぶとり
小太り means slightly plump or chubby, whereas 中肉中背 is neutral, neither fat nor thin.
痩やせ型がた
痩せ型 means slim or thin build, the opposite end of the spectrum from 中肉中背.

Built from

中ちゅう肉にく+中ちゅう背ぜい

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 中 (medium), 肉 (flesh), 中 (medium), and 背 (stature/back), literally 'medium flesh, medium stature'. The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern of four-character compounds describing physical characteristics.