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!
Page Contents:
- How Do You Say “Body” In Japanese?
- Body Parts In Japanese
- Related Japanese Phrases You Need To Know
- Learn Japanese With Ling!
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)
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 (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.
Head
Here’s the vocabulary list for body parts that are on your head.
Upper Body Parts
Here’s the vocabulary list for body parts that are on your upper body.
Lower Body Parts
This is the vocabulary for body parts on your lower body.
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower body | かはんしん | Kahanshin | |
| Hips | 腰 | Koshi | |
| Butt | お尻 | Oshiri | |
| Feet | 足 | Ashi | |
| Thigh | 太腿 | Futomomo | |
| Knees | 膝 | Hiza | |
| Ankle | 足首 | Ashikubi | |
| Heel | 踵 | Kakato | |
| Toes | つま先 | Tsumasaki |
Internal Body Parts
Here’s the vocabulary list for internal body parts.
| English | Japanese | Romaji | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal organs | ないぞう | Naizou | |
| Small intestine | 小腸 | Shouchou | |
| Lungs | 肺 | Hai | |
| Heart | 心臓 | Shinzou | |
| Bone | 骨 | Hone | |
| Muscle | 筋肉 | Kinniku | |
| Brain | 脳 | Nou | |
| Liver | 肝臓 | Kanzou | |
| Kidney | 腎臓 | Jinzou | |
| Pancreas | 膵臓 | Suizou | |
| Blood | 血 | Chi |
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.
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!
Start Learning Japanese With Ling!
Have you always wanted to learn Japanese but you don’t know where to start? Thousands of Japanese learners had the same question before they start learning Japanese from scratch, but they’ve already started their Japanese journey with Ling! Why don’t you join them?
Ling offers easy-to-understand Japanese lessons that you can learn at your own pace. Just grab your iOS or Android device right now and head to Google Play Store or Apple App Store to download it. From bite-sized lessons to puzzles and an exclusive chatbot, you can practice real-life conversations and gain a better understanding of the Japanese language.
Thousands of learners use the Ling app to improve their language skills, so why not join them? Download Ling, and get ready to speak Japanese soon! Plus, don’t forget to visit our Japanese blog weekly to learn more about the Japanese language and culture!
Until next time、 じゃあまたね!
