Imagine you’re in Japan and you twist your ankle on the way to the train station. Or maybe a doctor at the clinic asks, “どこが痛いですか？” (“where does it hurt?”) and your mind goes blank. Knowing Japanese body part vocabulary isn’t just textbook trivia — it’s the kind of language that saves you in real situations. Whether you’re navigating a hospital visit, describing how you feel, or picking up a Japanese idiom for the first time, this guide has you covered from head to toe.
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 頭 | あたま (atama) | head |
| 顔 | かお (kao) | face |
| 目 | め (me) | eye(s) |
| 耳 | みみ (mimi) | ear(s) |
| 鼻 | はな (hana) | nose |
| 口 | くち (kuchi) | mouth |
| 歯 | は (ha) | tooth / teeth |
| 首 | くび (kubi) | neck |
| 肩 | かた (kata) | shoulder |
| 胸 | むね (mune) | chest |
| 腕 | うで (ude) | arm |
| 手 | て (te) | hand |
| お腹 | おなか (onaka) | stomach / belly |
| 足 | あし (ashi) | foot / feet |
| 膝 | ひざ (hiza) | knee |
Head and Face: The Vocabulary You Need Most
Let’s start at the top. Japanese has precise words for nearly every part of the face, and you’ll encounter these constantly — in conversation, at the doctor’s office, and in everyday descriptions.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 頭（あたま） | atama | head | Used for the whole head |
| 顔（かお） | kao | face | The front of the head |
| 目（め） | me | eye(s) | Singular and plural are the same |
| 耳（みみ） | mimi | ear(s) | — |
| 鼻（はな） | hana | nose | Also means “flower” — different kanji |
| 口（くち） | kuchi | mouth | — |
| 歯（は） | ha | tooth / teeth | Plural: 歯（は）same form |
| 舌（した） | shita | tongue | Also means “below / under” |
| 頬（ほお） | hoo | cheek(s) | Sometimes written 頬（ほほ） |
| あご | ago | chin / jaw | Usually written in hiragana |
| 首（くび） | kubi | neck | — |
Polite prefix お (o-): In daily speech, some body parts take the honorific prefix お when talking about someone else’s body or in formal situations. For example:
- 目（め）→ お目（おめ）— used in very formal or literary contexts (e.g., お目にかかる, “to have the honor of meeting you”)
- 口（くち）→ お口（おくち）— commonly used when speaking to or about children (e.g., お口をあけて, “open your mouth”)
- 顔（かお）→ お顔（おかお）— used to politely refer to someone’s face
You won’t use the お prefix in every context, but it’s worth knowing so you recognize it when you hear it.
Upper Body: Shoulders, Chest, Arms, and Hands
Upper body vocabulary comes up constantly in daily life — from describing an ache at work to gesturing your way through a shopping trip in Japan.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 肩（かた） | kata | shoulder | 肩こり = stiff shoulders (very common complaint!) |
| 胸（むね） | mune | chest / breast | — |
| 背中（せなか） | senaka | back (of body) | — |
| 腹（はら）/ お腹（おなか） | hara / onaka | stomach / belly | お腹 is polite and more common in speech |
| 腰（こし） | koshi | lower back / waist | 腰痛（ようつう）= lower back pain |
| 腕（うで） | ude | arm | The whole arm from shoulder to wrist |
| 肘（ひじ） | hiji | elbow | — |
| 手首（てくび） | tekubi | wrist | Literally “hand-neck” |
| 手（て） | te | hand | — |
| 指（ゆび） | yubi | finger | Also used for “toe” (see Lower Body) |
Common mistake alert: 手（て）vs. 腕（うで）
Many beginners use 手 when they actually mean 腕. Think of it this way:
- 手（て）= the hand — from wrist to fingertips
- 腕（うで）= the arm — the whole limb from shoulder to wrist
So “I hurt my arm” is 腕（うで）を痛めた, not 手を痛めた (that would mean you hurt your hand).
Lower Body: Legs, Knees, Feet, and More
Lower body vocabulary in Japanese holds one of the most famous learner traps: the word 足（あし）. Read on carefully.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 足（あし）/ 脚（あし） | ashi | foot OR leg | See explanation below |
| 膝（ひざ） | hiza | knee | — |
| 足首（あしくび） | ashikubi | ankle | Literally “foot-neck” |
| かかと | kakato | heel | Usually written in hiragana |
| 指（ゆび） | yubi | toe | 足の指（あしのゆび）to be specific |
Common mistake alert: 足（あし）vs. 脚（あし）
This one trips up almost every learner. Both kanji are read あし, but they mean different things:
- 足（あし） — usually refers to the foot (from the ankle down), or broadly the lower limb including the foot
- 脚（あし） — more specifically the leg (from hip to ankle), and is commonly used for table legs or chair legs too
In casual everyday speech, 足 covers both “foot” and “leg,” so don’t overthink it. But if you’re being precise — for example, at a doctor’s office — you may hear 脚（あし）used for the leg specifically. The compound 足首（あしくび）only ever means “ankle,” which helps anchor your understanding.
Internal Organs: Useful Vocabulary for Health Situations
You won’t need to talk about organs every day, but these words come up at clinics, hospitals, and in health-related conversation more than you might expect.
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 心臓（しんぞう） | shinzou | heart |
| 胃（い） | i | stomach (organ) |
| 肺（はい） | hai | lung(s) |
| 肝臓（かんぞう） | kanzou | liver |
Note the distinction between 胃（い） (the stomach organ) and お腹（おなか） (the belly/abdomen area). In English we blur these together, but in Japanese they’re clearly separate:
- お腹が痛い（おなかがいたい）= “My stomach hurts” (general belly pain)
- 胃が痛い（いがいたい）= “My stomach hurts” (specifically the stomach organ — often describing gastric pain)
At the Doctor: Using Body Part Vocab in Real Situations
The most practical use of body part vocabulary is describing symptoms. Two patterns cover nearly every situation at a Japanese clinic:
- [Body part] が 痛い（いたい） — “[Body part] hurts”
- [Body part] が 腫れている（はれている） — “[Body part] is swollen”
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 頭が痛いです。（あたまがいたいです） | I have a headache. / My head hurts. |
| のどが痛いです。（のどがいたいです） | My throat hurts. |
| 足首が腫れています。（あしくびがはれています） | My ankle is swollen. |
| お腹が痛いです。（おなかがいたいです） | My stomach hurts. |
| 肩がこっています。（かたがこっています） | My shoulders are stiff. |
| 膝が痛くて歩けません。（ひざがいたくてあるけません） | My knee hurts and I can’t walk. |
Here’s a typical doctor-visit exchange in Japanese:
Yuka先生、昨日から右の足首がとても痛いです。（せんせい、きのうからみぎのあしくびがとてもいたいです。）
Doctor, my right ankle has been hurting a lot since yesterday.
Rei腫れていますか？（はれていますか？）
Is it swollen?
Yukaはい、少し腫れています。歩くと痛いです。（はい、すこしはれています。あるくといたいです。）
Yes, it’s a little swollen. It hurts when I walk.
Reiわかりました。レントゲンを撮りましょう。（わかりました。レントゲンをとりましょう。）
I see. Let’s take an X-ray.
Here’s a second exchange — asking about pain location:
Reiどこが痛いですか？（どこがいたいですか？）
where does it hurt?
Yukaここです。胸と背中が痛いです。（ここです。むねとせなかがいたいです。）
Here. My chest and back hurt.
Body Parts in Japanese Idioms and Expressions
Body part words don’t just describe the body — they’re baked into dozens of everyday Japanese expressions. Learning these idioms will make your Japanese sound much more natural.
| Expression | Literal meaning | Actual meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 手を貸す（てをかす） | to lend a hand | to help someone |
| 顔が広い（かおがひろい） | to have a wide face | to know a lot of people; well-connected |
| 腹が立つ（はらがたつ） | the stomach stands up | to get angry |
| 足を引っ張る（あしをひっぱる） | to pull someone’s leg | to hold someone back; be a drag |
| 耳が痛い（みみがいたい） | the ears hurt | to hit a sore spot; uncomfortable to hear |
| 口が堅い（くちがかたい） | a hard/stiff mouth | to be tight-lipped; good at keeping secrets |
| 目が高い（めがたかい） | to have high eyes | to have a good eye for quality; discerning |
Let’s see a couple of these in natural conversation:
Yuka引っ越しを手伝ってくれる？（ひっこしをてつだってくれる？）
Can you help me move?
Reiもちろん！喜んで手を貸すよ。（もちろん！よろこんでてをかすよ。）
Of course! I’m happy to lend a hand.
Yuka田中さんって本当に顔が広いよね。どこに行っても知り合いがいる。（たなかさんってほんとうにかおがひろいよね。どこにいってもしりあいがいる。）
Tanaka-san is really well-connected, isn’t she? She has acquaintances everywhere she goes.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Body Part Knowledge
Let’s check what you’ve learned. Match each Japanese word to its English meaning, then check the answers below.
- 膝（ひざ）= ?
- 背中（せなか）= ?
- 手首（てくび）= ?
- 肝臓（かんぞう）= ?
- 頬（ほお）= ?
- 足首（あしくび）= ?
Answers:
- knee
- back (of body)
- wrist
- liver
- cheek
- ankle
Bonus challenge: Can you use 腹が立つ（はらがたつ）in a sentence? Try writing one in the comments below!
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Here’s a summary of the most frequent errors learners make with body part vocabulary:
| Mistake | Why it happens | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Using 手（て）when meaning “arm” | English “hand/arm” are often loosely interchanged | Use 腕（うで）for the arm |
| Using 足（あし）only for “foot” | Learners memorize it as “foot” but miss its broader use | 足 covers foot AND leg in everyday speech |
| Confusing 胃（い）and お腹（おなか） | Both translate as “stomach” in English | 胃 = the organ; お腹 = the belly/abdominal area |
| Saying 鼻（はな）when meaning flower | Both share the sound “hana” but have different kanji | 花（はな）= flower; 鼻（はな）= nose |
| Forgetting 脚（あし）exists | 足 is learned first and used as a catch-all | 脚 is used in formal/medical or specific contexts for “leg” |
Which of these body part words do you find hardest to remember? Share in the comments — we’d love to help!
Keep Learning
Now that you know the building blocks of body vocabulary, explore more essential Japanese word groups with these related articles:
About the Author
Daisuke is the creator of JP YoKoSo — a Japanese learning site for English speakers. Every article is written to explain Japanese clearly, with real examples, grammar notes, and practical tips for learners at every level.
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