腰

yāo

HSK 5

腰 — yāo

1. the waist; the lower back

   他腰疼，不能弯腰。 tā yāoténg bùnéng wānyāo — He has back pain and can't bend at the waist.

2. (bound form) kidney of an animal (as food) — appears in compounds

   市场上有新鲜的猪腰子，可以买点。 shìchǎng shàngyǒu xīnxiān de zhū yāozi kěyǐ mǎidiǎn — There are fresh pig kidneys at the market; you can buy some.

3. the waistline of clothing (the part of trousers, skirts that fits the waist)

   这条裙子的腰很窄，不太合身。 zhètiáo qúnzi de yāo hěnzhǎi bù tài héshēn — The skirt's waist is very narrow and doesn't fit well.

4. (metonym) money pouch; pocket (esp. waist pouch or money kept at the waist)

   他把手机和钱都放在腰包里，出门很方便。 tā bǎ shǒujī hé qián dōu fàngzài yāobāo lǐ chūmén hěn fāngbiàn — He puts his phone and money in a waist pouch; it's convenient when going out.

5. (bound form) the middle section of an upright object (e.g. mountainside, the 'waist' of a bottle) — appears in compounds like 山腰, 瓶腰

   我们在山腰的树荫下休息了一会儿。 wǒmen zài shānyāo de shùyīnxià xiūxī le yīhuìer — We rested for a while under the shade on the mountainside.