Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

肩甲骨 (kenkoukotsu) Japanese meaning: shoulder blade | Kotomora

肩けん甲こう骨こつ

け

ん

こ

う

こ

つ

Meanings

1

shoulder blade; scapula

Anatomical term for the triangular bone at the back of the shoulder.

肩けん甲こう骨こつのあたり

が

痛いた

い

。

The area around my shoulder blade hurts.

肩けん甲こう骨こつを動うごかすストレッチを毎まい日にちしている。

I do stretches that move my shoulder blades every day.

Kanji

肩shoulder
甲armor, high (voice), A grade
骨skeleton, bone, remains
胛shoulder blade

Don't confuse with

鎖さ骨こつ
鎖骨 is the collarbone at the front of the shoulder, while 肩甲骨 is the shoulder blade at the back, and learners often mix up which bone is which.

Built from

肩けん甲こう+コツ

Written forms

肩けん甲こう骨こつ
Standard kanji spelling for the anatomical term.
肩けん胛こう骨こつ
Variant using 胛 instead of 甲; less common in modern usage.

Etymology

Compound of 肩 (shoulder), 甲 (shell, carapace, or first in order), and 骨 (bone). The exact derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the shoulder blade.