The kanji character 肩 represents "shoulder." It refers to the part of the body where the arm connects to the torso. The character carries the basic meaning of the shoulder itself, as well as related concepts such as proximity and responsibility, which can be metaphorically associated with having something "on your shoulder."

・On-yomi (音読み): ケン (ken) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): かた (kata)

⚫︎ 肩 (かた) が凝 (こ) る。 Translation: My shoulders are stiff. ⚫︎ 肩書 (かたがき) Translation: Title; designation; official status. ⚫︎ 肩 (かた) を並 (なら) べる。 Translation: To be on par with; to stand shoulder to shoulder with.

The kanji 肩 is a pictographic compound. It is composed of two parts: The character on the left side is the "月" radical (also written as "肉", meaning "flesh" or "meat" when it is the radical of the kanji) which signifies "body part". The character on the right side is the character "干," which is used phonetically and also means "dry" or "to interfere". Therefore, the "干" part gives a sound and also implies the structural of the body, indicating the shoulder bone. The combination of these elements forms the meaning of "shoulder". The original shape of the kanji 肩 resembles a human shoulder and arm. Over time, the form has been simplified, but the essential elements remain.