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Body Parts In Japanese: Learn 50+ Basic Words

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Betül Dağ

By Betül Dağ
Published on February 28, 2023

Table Of Contents

You never know what could happen to you on a trip to Japan. Imagine you feel sick, or you somehow hurt your body (God forbid!). You go straight to the hospital, but hey, you’re in Japan and there is a huge language barrier, remember? Most Japanese doctors and nurses don’t speak English or any other language than Japanese.

In that case, you’ll be glad to know the words related to body parts in Japanese. So that you can express yourself in the health context by explaining what’s wrong with your body at a basic level.

So, in this blog post, we’ll cover different body parts in the Japanese language. Keep reading!

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Page Contents:

How Do You Say “Body” In Japanese?

There are three different words you can use to say body in Japanese. They may look like the same word in terms of meaning, but there are some tiny nuances. Let’s see what they are!

体 (Karada)

This is the most common way of saying “body” in Japanese. It refers to both animal and human bodies. You can use 体からだ (karada) to refer to a body in any situation, just to be safe!

身体 (Shintai)

身体

This one is a bit more formal. For example, a full-body checkup at a doctor is called 身体検査し (shintai kensa). Unlike karada, it only refers to the human body.

身み (Mimi)

身み

身み (mimi) refers to the internal body, and you can also use it to talk about your consciousness. So this word doesn’t really mean your physical body but rather your inner self.

Body Parts In Japanese

After learning how to refer to your body in general, let’s learn the words for body parts in Japanese. We provide you with full vocabulary lists with an English translation and romaji for each word below.

Body Parts In Japanese - Cute Japanese Girl Smiling

Head

Here’s the vocabulary list for body parts that are on your head.

EnglishJapaneseRomajiSound
HeadAtama
HairKami
EarMimi
FaceKao
ForeheadHitai
EyeMe
EyelidまぶたMabuta まぶた
Eyelashまつ毛Matsuge まつ毛
Eyebrow眉毛Mayuge 眉毛
NoseHana
Nostril鼻の穴Hana no ana 鼻の穴
BeardHige
MouthKuchi
TeethHa
TongueShita
LipsKuchibiru
CheekHoho
ChinAgo
NeckKubi
ThroatNodo

Upper Body Parts

Here’s the vocabulary list for body parts that are on your upper body.

EnglishJapaneseRomajiSound
Upper body上半身Jouhanshin 上半身
ChestMune
StomachHara
ShoulderKata
Back背中Senaka 背中
ArmUde
ElbowHiji
Wrist手首Tekubi 手首
HandTe
FingerYubi
Thumb親指Oya yubi 親指
Pointer finger人差指Hitosashi yubi 人差指
Middle finger中指Naka yubi 中指
Fourth finger薬指Kusuri yubi 薬指
Little finger小指Koyubi 小指
Body Parts In Japanese - Little Japanese Girl Sitting On Grass

Lower Body Parts

This is the vocabulary for body parts on your lower body.

EnglishJapaneseRomajiSound
Lower bodyかはんしんKahanshin かはんしん
HipsKoshi
Buttお尻Oshiri お尻
FeetAshi
Thigh太腿Futomomo 太腿
KneesHiza
Ankle足首Ashikubi 足首
HeelKakato
Toesつま先Tsumasaki つま先

Internal Body Parts

Here’s the vocabulary list for internal body parts.

EnglishJapaneseRomajiSound
Internal organsないぞうNaizou ないぞう
Small intestine小腸Shouchou 小腸
LungsHai
Heart心臓Shinzou 心臓
BoneHone
Muscle筋肉Kinniku 筋肉
BrainNou
Liver肝臓Kanzou 肝臓
Kidney腎臓Jinzou 腎臓
Pancreas膵臓Suizou 膵臓
BloodChi
Body Parts In Japanese - Japanese Doctor

Related Japanese Phrases You Need To Know

Here are some useful phrases that you can use when you see a doctor. If you have a health problem try to explain yourself with the phrases below. This will help you have a better conversation with the Japanese doctor.

EnglishJapaneseRomajiSound
My hip hurts.腰こしが痛いたむKoshi ga itamu 腰こしが痛いたむ
My body feels heavy.体からだが重おもいKarada ga omoi 体からだが重おもい
My eyes feel tired.目めが疲つかれるMe ga tsukareru 目めが疲つかれる
Take care of your body.お体からだに気きをつけてください。Okarada ni ki o tsukete kudasai お体からだに気きをつけてください
My finger’s bleeding.指から血が出ています。Yubi kara chi ga dete imasu. 指から血が出ています。
My muscles are sore.筋肉痛です。Kinnikutsū desu. 筋肉痛です。
My skin itches.肌がかゆいです。Hada ga kayui desu. 肌がかゆいです。
My back hurts.背中が痛いです。Senaka ga itai desu. 背中が痛いです。
I have pain in my legs when it rains雨が降ると、脚が痛みます。Ame ga furu to, ashi ga itamimasu. 雨が降ると、脚が痛みます。

From now on, you know how to explain yourself at the doctor’s in Japanese. But what about other situations? If you want to be able to express yourself at the restaurant, at the cafe, or in the streets while asking for directions; start using Ling today!

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Until next time、 じゃあまたね!