Body Parts in Japanese: 50+ Words, Idioms, Example Sentences + Free PDF

Key Takeaways

1. Most body part words come with extra layers — kanji logic, grammar patterns, and idioms that show up constantly in anime, dramas, and everyday conversation.
2. Start with the 20 essential words, then learn the pain pattern [body part] が痛いです and the most common idioms.
3. Download the free cheat sheet at the end to review vocabulary and idioms together in one place.

Japanese body parts are some of the most useful words to learn early. You need them to describe people, explain pain, understand daily phrases, and follow expressions that show up in anime, dramas, and real conversation.

But these words are not always literal. 頭（あたま）means “head,” but 頭にくる（あたまにくる）means to get angry or fed up. That is why this guide teaches body parts as real vocabulary, not just a memorization list.

You will learn the essential body parts in Japanese, common pain phrases like 頭が痛いです, tricky word pairs like 足 vs 脚, useful idioms, and simple ways to practice with AI. You can also download the free printable PDF at the end for quick review.

Start Here: 20 Japanese Body Parts Beginners Should Learn First

Body parts in Japanese are easiest to approach when you start small. These 20 words come up most often in beginner textbooks, daily conversation, health situations, and descriptions of people. Learn these first before working through the full list.

#	Japanese	Hiragana	Romaji	English
1	頭	あたま	atama	head
2	顔	かお	kao	face
3	髪	かみ	kami	hair
4	目	め	me	eye
5	耳	みみ	mimi	ear
6	鼻	はな	hana	nose
7	口	くち	kuchi	mouth
8	歯	は	ha	tooth / teeth
9	首	くび	kubi	neck
10	喉	のど	nodo	throat
11	肩	かた	kata	shoulder
12	手	て	te	hand
13	指	ゆび	yubi	finger / toe
14	胸	むね	mune	chest
15	背中	せなか	senaka	back
16	お腹	おなか	onaka	belly / stomach
17	腰	こし	koshi	lower back / waist
18	足	あし	ashi	leg / foot
19	膝	ひざ	hiza	knee
20	足首	あしくび	ashikubi	ankle

Want this as a printable study chart? The free PDF at the end groups the core words, pain pattern, tricky pairs, and idioms into one quick review sheet.

Body Parts in Japanese from Head to Toe

Now for the full vocabulary list, grouped by body area. Grouping words by region is easier than memorizing one long alphabetical list because it mirrors how you actually think about the body.

Head and Neck

Japanese	Hiragana	Romaji	English
頭	あたま	atama	head
髪	かみ	kami	hair
顔	かお	kao	face
額	ひたい	hitai	forehead
首	くび	kubi	neck
喉	のど	nodo	throat

Face Parts in Japanese

Face parts in Japanese are especially useful because they appear in descriptions of people, expressions, beauty content, anime reactions, and health situations.

Japanese	Hiragana	Romaji	English
目	め	me	eye
瞳	ひとみ	hitomi	pupil / eye (poetic)
眉	まゆ	mayu	eyebrow
まぶた	まぶた	mabuta	eyelid
まつげ	まつげ	matsuge	eyelash
鼻	はな	hana	nose
口	くち	kuchi	mouth
唇	くちびる	kuchibiru	lips
歯	は	ha	tooth / teeth
舌	した	shita	tongue
耳	みみ	mimi	ear
耳たぶ	みみたぶ	mimitabu	earlobe
頬	ほお	hoo	cheek
顎	あご	ago	chin / jaw

Upper Body and Arms

Japanese	Hiragana	Romaji	English
肩	かた	kata	shoulder
胸	むね	mune	chest
背中	せなか	senaka	back
腕	うで	ude	arm
肘	ひじ	hiji	elbow
手	て	te	hand
手首	てくび	tekubi	wrist
指	ゆび	yubi	finger
親指	おやゆび	oyayubi	thumb
人差し指	ひとさしゆび	hitosashiyubi	index finger
中指	なかゆび	nakayubi	middle finger
薬指	くすりゆび	kusuriyubi	ring finger
小指	こゆび	koyubi	little finger / pinky
爪	つめ	tsume	nail

Stomach, Waist and Lower Body

Japanese	Hiragana	Romaji	English
お腹	おなか	onaka	belly / stomach
腹	はら	hara	belly (rougher / idiomatic)
胃	い	i	stomach organ
腰	こし	koshi	lower back / waist
お尻	おしり	oshiri	bottom / buttocks
足	あし	ashi	leg / foot
太もも	ふともも	futomomo	thigh
膝	ひざ	hiza	knee
すね	すね	sune	shin
ふくらはぎ	ふくらはぎ	fukurahagi	calf
足首	あしくび	ashikubi	ankle
かかと	かかと	kakato	heel
足の指	あしのゆび	ashi no yubi	toe

Internal Organs and Body Materials

Japanese	Hiragana	Romaji	English
体	からだ	karada	body
皮膚	ひふ	hifu	skin
骨	ほね	hone	bone
血	ち	chi	blood
筋肉	きんにく	kinniku	muscle
脳	のう	nou	brain
心臓	しんぞう	shinzou	heart
肺	はい	hai	lung
腸	ちょう	chou	intestines
肝臓	かんぞう	kanzou	liver
内臓	ないぞう	naizou	internal organs

Cracking the Kanji Code: Why So Many Body Part Kanji Use 月

When I first noticed that so many body part kanji share what looks like a moon shape, I went looking for an explanation. The answer is 肉月（にくづき）, and once you know it, these kanji start making a lot more sense.

Once you notice 肉月（にくづき）, body part kanji start to feel less random. You begin seeing a clue inside the character before you even memorize the full word, and the whole kanji system becomes a little easier to navigate.

お腹, 腹 and 胃: Which “Stomach” Word Should You Use?

Japanese has more than one word that translates to “stomach” in English. The right choice depends on the situation.

Word	Reading	Best meaning	Tone	Example
お腹	おなか	belly / stomach	everyday, polite	お腹が痛いです。My stomach hurts.
腹	はら	belly / gut	rougher, idiomatic	腹が立つ。I am angry.
胃	い	stomach organ	medical, specific	胃が痛いです。My stomach organ hurts.

Use お腹 in most daily situations. Use 胃 when you want to be specific, especially at a clinic or pharmacy. Watch for 腹 in idioms, because it often points to emotion rather than the physical stomach.

How to Say “It Hurts” in Japanese?

The most useful pattern for describing pain is:

[Body part] が痛いです。 My [body part] hurts.

You can swap in almost any body part from the vocabulary tables above:

Japanese	Hiragana	English
頭が痛いです。	あたまがいたいです。	My head hurts.
喉が痛いです。	のどがいたいです。	My throat hurts.
歯が痛いです。	はがいたいです。	My tooth hurts.
お腹が痛いです。	おなかがいたいです。	My stomach hurts.
背中が痛いです。	せなかがいたいです。	My back hurts.
腰が痛いです。	こしがいたいです。	My lower back hurts.
膝が痛いです。	ひざがいたいです。	My knee hurts.
足首が痛いです。	あしくびがいたいです。	My ankle hurts.

At a Clinic or Pharmacy

A: どうしましたか。 What seems to be the problem?

B: 喉（のど）が痛（いた）いです。 My throat hurts.

A: 熱（ねつ）はありますか。 Do you have a fever?

B: 少（すこ）しあります。 A little.

A few body part words and this one pattern are enough to communicate a real problem in a stressful situation.

How to Describe Appearance with Body Parts

Body part words also pair with adjectives to describe people and physical features. The basic pattern is:

[Body part] が [adjective] です。

Japanese	Hiragana	English
目が大きいです。	めがおおきいです。	The eyes are big.
髪が長いです。	かみがながいです。	The hair is long.
鼻が高いです。	はながたかいです。	The nose is high-bridged.
顔が小さいです。	かおがちいさいです。	The face is small.
手がきれいです。	てがきれいです。	The hands are beautiful.

Putting Things On: 被る, 着る, 履く and More

Japanese does not use one single verb for “wear.” The verb changes depending on which part of the body the item goes on.

Verb	Reading	Used for	Example
被る	かぶる	things worn on the head	帽子を被ります。I wear a hat.
着る	きる	clothes on the upper body	シャツを着ます。I wear a shirt.
履く	はく	clothes or items on the lower body	靴を履きます。I wear shoes.
締める	しめる	things tied around the neck or waist	ネクタイを締めます。I tie a tie.
巻く	まく	things wrapped around the neck or body	マフラーを巻きます。I wear a scarf.
かける	かける	glasses or things worn on the face	眼鏡をかけます。I wear glasses.

A hat goes on your head, so you 被る it. Shoes go on your feet, so you 履く them. Glasses sit on your face, so you かける them. Once you connect each verb to the body zone it belongs to, the right choice becomes much easier to remember.

Don’t Mix These Up: Common Body Part Mistakes

Some Japanese body part words do not map onto English one-to-one. These are the pairs that trip up beginners most often.

足 vs 脚

Both are read あし.

足 is the everyday word for leg or foot. It covers the whole lower limb depending on context and is the safer default for most situations.

脚 often points more specifically to the leg as a shape, function, or support structure. You may see it in phrases about long legs, table legs, or the physical form of the lower body.

For most beginner sentences, 足 is correct.

手 vs 腕

手（て） means hand. It refers to the part from the wrist to the fingertips.

腕（うで） means arm. It refers to the area from the shoulder to the wrist.

Use 手 for holding, washing, writing, and touching. Use 腕 for arm movement, arm strength, and sleeves.

指 vs 足の指

指（ゆび） can mean either finger or toe.

To be clear about toes, say 足の指（あしのゆび）, which literally means “foot fingers.” In Japanese, fingers and toes share the same word because they are both just ゆび attached to different limbs.

髪 vs 紙 vs 神

All three are read かみ but mean completely different things.

Word	Hiragana	Meaning
髪	かみ	hair
紙	かみ	paper
神	かみ	god / deity

Context usually makes the meaning clear, but the kanji is important when reading written Japanese.

Japanese Body Part Idioms You’ll Actually Hear

Body part idioms are where this vocabulary becomes much more useful and interesting. These expressions appear constantly in casual Japanese, dramas, anime, manga, and songs, and they almost never mean what the literal translation suggests.

頭にくる（あたまにくる）

Example: もう頭にくる！

（もうあたまにくる！）

That’s it. I’m so fed up.

腹が立つ（はらがたつ）

Example: 本当に腹が立つ。

（ほんとうにはらがたつ。）

I’m really angry.

耳が痛い（みみがいたい）

Example: 耳が痛いことを言わないで。

（みみがいたいことをいわないで。）

Don’t say things that hit so close to home.

顔が広い（かおがひろい）

Example: 彼女は顔が広い。

（かのじょはかおがひろい。）

She knows everyone.

口が軽い（くちがかるい）

Example: 彼は口が軽いから気をつけて。（かれはくちがかるいからきをつけて。）Be careful, he can’t keep a secret.

目が回る（めがまわる）

Example: 忙しすぎて目が回る。

（いそがしすぎてめがまわる。）

I’m so busy my head is spinning.

手が空く（てがあく）

Example: 手が空いたら手伝ってください。

（てがあいたらてつだってください。）

Please help me when you have a free moment.

足を引っ張る（あしをひっぱる）

Example: チームの足を引っ張らないで。

（チームのあしをひっぱらないで。）

Don’t drag the team down.

胸がいっぱい（むねがいっぱい）

Example: 胸がいっぱいで言葉が出ない。

（むねがいっぱいでことばがでない。）

I’m so moved I can’t find the words.

首になる（くびになる）

Example: 彼は首になった。

（かれはくびになった。）

He got fired.

These idioms are also part of why body part vocabulary shows up so much in Japanese songs and anime. Words like 心臓（しんぞう）, 瞳（ひとみ）, and 背中（せなか）carry strong emotional weight in lyrics and dialogue. Once these words click, you will start noticing them everywhere.

The free cheat sheet at the end groups the vocabulary and idioms together so you can review both in one place.

Quick Self-Check

Can you remember the Japanese word for each of these without looking up?

1. The word that means both foot and leg
2. The body part idiom that means “to get angry”
3. Which verb do you use to put on a hat?
4. What does 肉月 tell you about a kanji?
5. How do you say “my knee hurts” in Japanese?

Answers

1. 足（あし）— it covers both foot and leg depending on context.
2. 腹が立つ（はらがたつ）— literally “the belly stands up.”
3. 被る（かぶる）— used for anything worn on the head.
4. It tells you the kanji is related to the body or flesh, not the moon.
5. 膝が痛いです（ひざがいたいです）

My Step-by-Step Ways to Practice These Words with AI

Way 1: Interactive Flashcards

Reading a vocabulary list is a good start, but real learning happens when you test yourself. Copy any word list from this guide into Gemini, and it will instantly generate a full interactive flashcard set with a memory hook, an example sentence, and a hint for each word.

Gemini’s built-in flashcard player even tracks which words you’ve mastered and which ones still need practice, so you spend your time where it actually counts.

Here is how to do it in under a minute.

Step 1: Open Gemini and sign in with a free Google account.

Step 2: Copy the prompt below.

Step 3: Paste it into Gemini, then replace [Paste your word list here] with the words you want to self-test. You can copy directly from any table in this article.

Step 4: Hit send. Gemini automatically generates an interactive flashcard deck — flip through each card, check your recall, and use the hint if you get stuck.

Tip: Before you start flipping, turn on Track learning in the bottom right corner. Gemini will automatically prioritize cards you find difficult and space out the ones you already know — so you spend your time on the words that actually need practice.

All you need is a free Google account — no extra apps or sign-ups required.

Create flashcards for English-speaking learners studying Japanese body parts vocabulary.

You are acting as a professional Japanese teacher.

CRITICAL: Keep ALL text extremely concise so fonts display as large and clear as possible.

If example sentences are provided, use them. If not, create a short, natural everyday example sentence yourself.

Please strictly follow this format for each card:

Front:
- First line: Kanji only.
- Second line: Hiragana reading in brackets.

Back:
- Bold headers for each section.
- ① Meaning: English translation of the target word.
- ② Mnemonic: ONE short, punchy sentence.
- ③ Example: 4-6 words maximum + English translation.
- If any kanji in the example sentence is NOT the target word, add its Hiragana in brackets immediately after. Example: 手を洗（あら）います。

Here are the words I want to practice:
[Paste your word list here]

Rules:
- One card per word. No skipping.
- Keep tone friendly and layout clean.

Way 2: JLPT-Style Quiz

Once you have gone through the flashcards, you can test yourself further with a JLPT-style quiz. Paste this prompt into Gemini:

Create 10 quiz questions about Japanese body parts vocabulary for JLPT N5 and N4 learners.

Follow the exact format of real JLPT questions, using these three question types:

Question type 1: Choose the correct hiragana reading for the kanji word marked with 【】.
Question type 2: Choose the correct kanji for the hiragana word marked with 【】.
Question type 3: Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.

Formatting rules:
- For types 1 and 2, mark the target word with 【】brackets. Example: 毎日【目】の薬を使います。
- For type 1 answer options: use hiragana only. Distractors must be readings of other real body part kanji at N5-N4 level, not random single characters. Example: め、みみ、はな、くち.
- For type 2 answer options: use kanji only. Distractors must be real body part kanji at N5-N4 level.
- For type 3 answer options: use hiragana only, never kanji. Example: みみ、め、くち、て.
- 4 options per question (A, B, C, D).
- After the correct answer, include: (1) English translation of the full sentence, (2) a short explanation of why this answer is correct and why the other options are wrong.
- Keep all vocabulary within N5-N4 level.
- Use body parts vocabulary only.

Free Printable Body Parts in Japanese Cheat Sheet

Want to review everything without scrolling back through the full article? Download the free printable cheat sheet below. It includes the 20 most useful body parts to learn first, a head-to-toe vocabulary chart, face parts, the pain pattern が痛いです, tricky pairs like 足 vs 脚 and 手 vs 腕, and the most common body part idioms.

Body Parts in Japanese FAQs

Final Thoughts

Body parts in Japanese are more than a beginner vocabulary list. They help you describe pain, talk about appearance, understand clothing verbs, read kanji more easily, and catch idioms in real conversation.

Start with the 20 essential words. Then learn the pain pattern and the most common idioms. Once those click, you will start noticing body part words everywhere in Japanese.

If you are also building your adjective vocabulary, pair this guide with the Japanese i-adjectives guide and the Japanese na-adjectives guide. Body words and adjectives combine naturally into the kind of simple, useful sentences that actually come up in conversation.