8.3. Body parts



8.3.1. Head


Hiragana:(a)(ta)(ma)
Phonemes:atama'
Romanization:atama
Meaning:head

Hiragana:(ka)(o)
Phonemes:kao
Romanization:kao
Meaning:face

Hiragana:(me)
Phonemes:me'
Romanization:me
Meaning:eye

For your interest: In Japanese culture, the eyes are the most important part of the face. Japanese has many proverbs about eyes, and one of them says "the eye talks as much as the mouth does", which means you can express and read emotions through eyes. This is one reason why eyes of Japanese manga and animation characters are exaggerated.

Hiragana:(ha)(na)
Phonemes:hana
Romanization:hana
Meaning:nose

For your interest: The nose is the least important part of the face in Japanese culture.

Hiragana:(ku)(ti)
Phonemes:kuti
Romanization:kuchi
Meaning:mouth

Hiragana:(ku)(ti)(bi)(ru)
Phonemes:kutibiru
Romanization:kuchibiru
Meaning:lips

Hiragana:(ha)
Phonemes:ha'
Romanization:ha
Meaning:tooth

Hiragana:(si)(ta)
Phonemes:sita'
Romanization:shita
Meaning:tongue

Note: In colloquial Japanese, the word (be)(ro) /be' ro/ "bero" is more commonly used for tongue.

Hiragana:(mi)(mi)
Phonemes:mimi'
Romanization:mimi
Meaning:ear

Hiragana:(ho)(o)
Phonemes:ho'o
Romanization:
Meaning:cheek

Hiragana:(hi)(ta)(i)
Phonemes:hitai
Romanization:hitai
Meaning:forehead

Note: In colloquial Japanese, the word (o)(de)(ko) /o de' ko/ "odeko" is more commonly used for forehead.

Hiragana:(ku)(bi)
Phonemes:kubi
Romanization:kubi
Meaning:neck

For your interest: This word also means firing a person. It comes from decapitation as a metaphor of dismissal.

Hiragana:(no)(do)
Phonemes:no'do
Romanization:nodo
Meaning:throat

Hiragana:(a)(go)
Phonemes:ago'
Romanization:ago
Meaning:chin

Hiragana:(ka)(mi)(no)(ke)
Phonemes:kamino'ke
Romanization:kaminoke
Meaning:hair (on the head)

Note: The word (ka)(mi) /ka mi'/ "kami" means hair on the head, but the word above is more clear because (ka)(mi) /ka mi'/ "kami" also means paper. They just happen to share the same pronunciation. (no) /no/ "no" is the genitive marker and (ke) /ke/ "ke" means hair (not necessarily on the head).

Hiragana:(ma)(yu)(ge)
Phonemes:ma'yuge
Romanization:mayuge
Meaning:eyebrow

Note: The word (ma)(yu) /ma' yu/ "mayu" also means eyebrow. (ge) /ge/ "ge" is a suffix form of (ke) /ke/ "ke", which means hair.

Hiragana:(ma)(tu)(ge)
Phonemes:ma'tuge
Romanization:matsuge
Meaning:eyelash

Hiragana:(hi)(ge)
Phonemes:hige
Romanization:hige
Meaning:mustache


8.3.2. Hand


Hiragana:(te)
Phonemes:te'
Romanization:te
Meaning:hand

Hiragana:(te)(no)(hi)(ra)
Phonemes:te'nohira
Romanization:tenohira
Meaning:palm

Note: This word consists of three parts: (te) /te'/ "te" (hand), the genitive marker (no) /no/ "no", and (hi)(ra) /hi ra'/ "hira" (flat surface).

Hiragana:(te)(no)(ko)(u)
Phonemes:te'nokou
Romanization:teno
Meaning:the back of the hand

Note: This word consists of three parts: (te) /te'/ "te" (hand), the genitive marker (no) /no/ "no", and (ko)(u) /ko' u/ "kô" (tortoise shell).

Hiragana:(yu)(bi)
Phonemes:yubi'
Romanization:yubi
Meaning:finger

Note: This word includes not only fingers but also thumbs and toes. So you probably have twenty (yu)(bi) /yu bi'/ "yubi".

Hiragana:(o)(ya)(yu)(bi)
Phonemes:oyayubi
Romanization:oyayubi
Meaning:thumb

Note: The word (o)(ya) /o ya'/ "oya" means parent, so it literally means parent finger.

Hiragana:(hi)(to)(sa)(si)(yu)(bi)
Phonemes:hitosasi'yubi
Romanization:hitosashiyubi
Meaning:index finger

Note: This word comes from (hi)(to) /hi to/ "hito" (person), (sa)(si) /sa' si/ "sashi" (the noun form of the verb (sa)(su) /sa' su/ "sasu", which means point), and (yu)(bi) /yu bi'/ "yubi" (finger), so its literal meaning is person-pointing finger.

Hiragana:(na)(ka)(yu)(bi)
Phonemes:naka'yubi
Romanization:nakayubi
Meaning:middle finger

Note: Since the word (na)(ka) /na' ka/ "naka" means middle, this word is exactly the same as middle finger.

Hiragana:(ku)(su)(ri)(yu)(bi)
Phonemes:kusuri'yubi
Romanization:kusuriyubi
Meaning:ring finger

Note: The word (ku)(su)(ri) /ku su ri/ "kusuri" generally means medicine, and it means ointment in this case. So this word literally means ointment finger. It is said that the ring finger is good to use ointment with, because the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger are for picking food and the little finger is too clumsy and too small. By the way, the ring finger often has a strange name in many languages, such as ring finger in English. In Mandarin Chinese, it is called "wúmíngzhî", which literally means nameless finger.

Hiragana:(ko)(yu)(bi)
Phonemes:koyubi
Romanization:koyubi
Meaning:little finger

Note: The prefix (ko) /ko/ "ko" means little, so it is the same as little finger.

Hiragana:(tu)(me)
Phonemes:tume
Romanization:tsume
Meaning:nail


8.3.3. Other body parts


Hiragana:(ka)(ta)
Phonemes:ka'ta
Romanization:kata
Meaning:shoulder

Hiragana:(u)(de)
Phonemes:ude'
Romanization:ude
Meaning:arm

Hiragana:(hi)(zi)
Phonemes:hizi'
Romanization:hiji
Meaning:elbow

Hiragana:(te)(ku)(bi)
Phonemes:te'kubi
Romanization:tekubi
Meaning:wrist

Note: This word is a combination of (te) /te'/ "te" (hand) and (ku)(bi) /ku bi/ "kubi" (neck).

Hiragana:(a)(si)
Phonemes:asi'
Romanization:ashi
Meaning:leg, foot

Hiragana:(hi)(za)
Phonemes:hiza
Romanization:hiza
Meaning:knee

Hiragana:(a)(si)(ku)(bi)
Phonemes:asi'kubi
Romanization:ashikubi
Meaning:ankle

Note: This word is a combination of (a)(si) /a si'/ "ashi" (foot) and (ku)(bi) /ku bi/ "kubi" (neck).

Hiragana:(mu)(ne)
Phonemes:mune'
Romanization:mune
Meaning:chest, breast

Hiragana:(o)(na)(ka)
Phonemes:onaka
Romanization:onaka
Meaning:abdomen

Hiragana:(ko)(si)
Phonemes:kosi
Romanization:koshi
Meaning:waist

Hiragana:(o)(si)(ri)
Phonemes:osiri
Romanization:oshiri
Meaning:buttocks


8.3.4. Internal organs


The Japanese word for internal organs is (na)(i)(zo)(u) /na i zo u/ "naizô". The suffix (zo)(u) /zo u/ "zô" is commonly used for organs.

Hiragana:(no)(u)
Phonemes:no'u
Romanization:
Meaning:brain

Hiragana:(si)(n)(zo)(u)
Phonemes:siNzou
Romanization:shin
Meaning:heart

Hiragana:(ha)(i)
Phonemes:hai
Romanization:hai
Meaning:lung

Hiragana:(i)
Phonemes:i
Romanization:i
Meaning:stomach

Hiragana:(ti)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:tyo'u
Romanization:chô
Meaning:intestines

Hiragana:(ka)(n)(zo)(u)
Phonemes:kaNzou
Romanization:kan
Meaning:liver

Hiragana:(zi)(n)(zo)(u)
Phonemes:ziNzou
Romanization:jin
Meaning:kidney

Hiragana:(bo)(u)(ko)(u)
Phonemes:boukou
Romanization:
Meaning:the bladder

Hiragana:(ti)
Phonemes:ti
Romanization:chi
Meaning:blood

Note: The word (ke)(tu)(e)(ki) /ke tu' e ki/ "ketsueki" also means blood. It is a scientific term.

Hiragana:(ho)(ne)
Phonemes:hone'
Romanization:hone
Meaning:bone

Hiragana:(ki)(n)(ni)(ku)
Phonemes:ki'Nniku
Romanization:kinniku
Meaning:muscle


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