脈 means “pulse, vein, chain”

みゃく · myaku

Also: hope

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

すじ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ミャク

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 5 · 10 strokes

The story

Flesh (月) beside the branching stream of 派: blood running through the body in forks and channels. 脈 is a pulse or vein: a doctor takes your 脈, 山脈 is a mountain range, and 人脈 is your network of contacts.

Used in 脈 (myaku, pulse), 山脈 (sanmyaku, mountain range), and 人脈 (jinmyaku, connections/network)

More from Inner Organs

• 髄 marrow
• 腎 kidney
• 膜 membrane
• 腸 intestines
• 肪 fat
• 椎 vertebra
• 剖 dissect
• 泌 secrete
• 脊 spine
• 腺 gland
• 筋 muscle
• 肝 liver

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.