Body Parts in Japanese: 50+ Essential Words with Kanji

Body parts in Japanese are among the most practical vocabulary you can learn. You need them to describe symptoms at a clinic, talk about someone's appearance, follow workout instructions, and navigate dozens of everyday conversations. Yet most beginner lists stop at ten words and skip the kanji—leaving you stranded the moment you pick up a health form or a manga.

This guide covers over 50 body part words with kanji, kana, and romaji; five genuine example sentences; natural idioms; and a quiz you can use straight away. By the time you finish, you will not need to search for this information again.

Complete Body Parts Reference Table

All 55 words below are organized by region. Words marked ★ appear on the JLPT N5 exam and deserve your attention first.

Cultural note: The word 腹 (hara, belly) carries far more weight in Japanese than a simple anatomical term. While 頭が痛い (atama ga itai) can mean both "my head hurts" and "this is a real headache / problem," anger is expressed as 腹が立つ (hara ga tatsu, literally "the belly rises") because the gut is traditionally seen as the seat of genuine emotion and courage. Once you notice this pattern, you will spot it in conversations, novels, and Japanese workplace culture constantly.

How to Say "[Body Part] Hurts" in Japanese

The most immediately useful sentence pattern with body part words is 〇〇が痛いです (〇〇 ga itai desu) — "[body part] hurts." You will need it at clinics, after exercise, and in everyday complaints. Pair it with time expressions—once you know the Japanese days-of-the-week vocabulary, you can say things like 月曜日から頭が痛いです (getsuyōbi kara atama ga itai desu, "my head has been hurting since Monday"), which gives a doctor exactly the detail they need.

Pattern: [body part] + が + 痛いです (ga itai desu)

1. 頭が痛いです。
Atama ga itai desu.
My head hurts. / I have a headache.

2. 喉が痛いので、学校を休みました。
Nodo ga itai node, gakkō wo yasumimashita.
My throat hurt, so I took the day off school.

3. 毎日運動するので、足が疲れます。
Mainichi undō suru node, ashi ga tsukaremasu.
I exercise every day, so my legs get tired.

4. 手を洗ってください。
Te wo aratte kudasai.
Please wash your hands.

5. 彼女の目はとてもきれいです。
Kanojo no me wa totemo kirei desu.
Her eyes are very beautiful.

Want to practise these pain expressions and descriptions in a real conversation? Book your Free Trial lesson over LINE and get instant pronunciation feedback from a native Japanese teacher—no guesswork, no waiting.

Body Part Idioms That Sound Like a Native Speaker

Japanese has a rich stock of idioms built on body parts—they appear in daily speech, manga, workplace talk, and television. Learning even a handful will make your Japanese sound noticeably more natural, and they reveal how the language conceptualizes emotion and action through the physical body.

Notice that 手を貸す (te wo kasu) and the English "lend a hand" arrive at the same idea from the same body part—a rare and satisfying overlap that makes the idiom easy to remember. 足を引っ張る (ashi wo hipparu), on the other hand, diverges: English "pulls someone's leg" means to joke; Japanese means to drag someone down. Same body part, completely different image.

Common Mistakes with Japanese Body Part Words

Confusing 足 (leg) with 足 (foot)
足 (ashi) covers both "leg" and "foot" in everyday Japanese—learners sometimes expect two separate words, as in English. When you need to be precise, anchor yourself with 足首 (ashikubi, ankle) or 足の指 (ashi no yubi, toe), and the distinction becomes clear from context.

Mixing up はな (nose) and 花 (flower)
Both words are pronounced hana, but they are written with entirely different kanji: 鼻 for nose and 花 for flower. In spoken Japanese, context prevents confusion; in writing, always double-check.

Using おなか when you mean 胃
お腹 (onaka) is the belly or abdomen as a whole—the area you rub when you are full. 胃 (i) is the stomach as a specific digestive organ. Using おなか for both is common and usually understood, but at a clinic the distinction matters.

Dropping the polite お prefix
お腹 and お尻 almost always carry the prefix お (o-) in natural speech. Saying 腹 or 尻 alone sounds blunt—sometimes rude. Keep the お.

Treating 指 as fingers only
指 (yubi) covers both fingers and toes in general usage. When precision matters, use 手の指 (te no yubi, finger) versus 足の指 (ashi no yubi, toe).

Once you are comfortable with these words, try describing your family members' physical appearances—for example, 父の鼻は高いです (chichi no hana wa takai desu, "my father has a prominent nose"). The Japanese family vocabulary guide has all the family member words you need, and the Japanese colors guide will help you add color descriptions like 茶色い目 (chairoi me, brown eyes) or 白い歯 (shiroi ha, white teeth).

Practice Quiz

This quiz is carried over from the original lesson with fuller context. Work through each section before looking at the answer key.

Section 1 — Give the romaji reading

Section 2 — Give the English meaning

Section 3 — Write in Japanese (kanji or hiragana accepted)

✅ Answer Key

FAQ

What is the Japanese word for "body"?

体 (karada) is the everyday word for body and the one to learn first—it is also a JLPT N5 word. A more formal written form, 身体 (shintai), appears on official documents and medical forms. In spoken Japanese and natural writing, 体 (karada) is always the right choice.

How do I say "my [body part] hurts" in Japanese?

Use the pattern: [body part] + が痛いです (ga itai desu). For example, 腰が痛いです (koshi ga itai desu) means "my lower back hurts." To express pain that has been going on for a while, add ずっと (zutto) at the start: ずっと頭が痛いです (zutto atama ga itai desu), meaning "my head has been hurting the whole time."

Do I need to learn the kanji for body parts at this stage?

Hiragana alone is enough for basic communication, but the kanji for common body parts—目, 手, 足, 頭—are among the first you will encounter in real-world Japanese: menus, health forms, signs, and manga. Learning them now costs little effort and pays off quickly, especially for JLPT preparation.

Which body part words appear on the JLPT N5?

The ten core JLPT N5 body part words are: 頭 (atama, head), 顔 (kao, face), 目 (me, eye), 鼻 (hana, nose), 口 (kuchi, mouth), 耳 (mimi, ear), 手 (te, hand), 足 (ashi, leg/foot), お腹 (onaka, stomach/belly), and 体 (karada, body). These are the ★ words in the reference table above—prioritize them before expanding to the full list.

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This article is Lesson 35 of the Kind Japanese 100-day beginner curriculum.