The Body
Through kanji acquisition, many basic body related words such as 手 (hand), 顔 (face), etc. become familiar to learners right off the bat, but a lot can be said about the bodies which our minds reside.
This lesson takes studying these words to the same level of care and attention as we did with plants and animals. In doing so, it is important to understand that you, as an intermediate learner, are not expected to memorize everything discussed. Instead, take what you need from it.
“The Body”
「体」の様々な呼び方
The first wave of phrases that we will study are those pertaining to “body” and the immediate qualifications and nuancing that can be had with just the human body at large.
To simplify distinctions, Sino-Japanese words (those composed of ON readings), which tend to be technical, will have their readings rendered in Katakana. Additionally, the fourth column of each chart will indicate whether a word is part of the core vocabulary, a literary (formal/rare/poetic) word, or anatomical jargon (technical).
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 体・身体 | からだ | Body | Core |
| 身体 | シンタイ | Physical body | Technical/Core |
| 身 | み | One’s person | Literary/core |
| 肉体 | ニクタイ | The flesh | Core |
| 上体 | ジョウタイ | Upper body | Core |
| 上半身 | ジョウハンシン | Upper body | Technical/Core |
| 下半身 | カハンシン | Lower body | Technical/Core |
| （体）全身 | からだゼンシン | Whole body | Core |
| 裸体 | ラタイ | Naked body | Literary |
| 裸身 | ラシン はだかみ1 | Naked body | Literary |
| 裸2 | はだか | Nakedness | Core |
| 死体 | シタイ | Dead body | Technical/Core |
| 遺体 | イタイ | Remains | Technical/Core |
| 四肢 | シシ | Four limbs | Technical |
Word Notes:
①There are a number of other ways to say “whole body”: 満身 seen in the phrase 満身創痍 (to have wounds all over one’s body,” 体全体, 体中, etc.
②体 occasionally only refers to the core of the body in set phrases such as 体当たり (body-slam) and 肢体 (the limbs and torso).
③Colloquial ways of saying “naked body” include: 素っ裸 (in one’s bare skin), 丸裸, 真っ裸 (stark naked), 赤裸々3 (naked/nude), and すっぽんぽん (in one’s birthday suit).
④死体 may be seen spelled as 屍体 in literature, which carries a far more morbid tone.
⑤死体 is used in legal terminology such as 死体遺棄 (abandoning a corpse), while （ご）遺体 will often be heard when speaking about a deceased person’s body out of respect.
⑥Various other words for “corpse” exist: 亡骸（なきがら）, 躯・骸（むくろ）, 屍・尸（しかばね）, and 遺骸 are all used rather frequently in literary fashion. In older words, 屍（かばね） may also be seen. 死骸 is also a common word for “corpse,” but it may also refer to the “carcass(es)” of anything. In a Buddhist context, you may also hear the deceased referred to as 仏さん.
Kanji Notes:
①身体 and 体 are both equally used for からだ in literature. As for other alternative spellings, 躰 refers to the whole body, while 體 is the original Kanji (kyūjitai 旧字体) for “body.”
②身 is frequently seen in words for “flesh and blood” and other emphatic phrases – exs. この身のすべて (all of one’s self) , 一身上 (personal), 身代わり (substitute/stand-in), 肉身 (the living flesh given to oneself by one’s parents), 生身4(living flesh), 身動きする (to move one’s body (freely)), etc.
1. 行方不明の男性が、遺体で見つかりました。
A man who had gone missed was found diseased.
2. アメリカの空港で、身体検査を受けました。
I was frisked at an American airport.
3. 毎日寝ていると、下半身だけ大量に汗をかきます。
Every day I sleep, I sweat profusely just from my lower body.
4. 目覚まし時計が最初に鳴った段階で体を起こそうとする。
I get myself up from the start of my alarm clock going off.
5. 日本の高度成長期の発展に私もこの身を捧げました。
I also devoted myself to the development of Japan in its period of rapid growth.
6. 子供の上半身を裸にする学校の健康診断をめぐって保護者らから不安の声があっている。
Concerns are being raised by guardians over school medical check-ups which have children stripped above the waist.
7. 身体を温める効果が高まります。
(Its/their) effect of warming the body increases.
8. 四肢に１０か所ほど蚊に刺されました。
I was bitten by mosquitos in about 10 places all over my legs and arms.
“Physique”
A common synonym for the “body” in English is “physique,” and unsurprisingly, there are various words that translate to this in Japanese.
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 体つき | からだつき | Body build | Core |
| 体格 | タイカク | Frame | Technical/Core |
| 体躯 | タイク | Physical stature | Literary |
| 恰幅 | カップク | Solid build | Literary |
Word Notes:
①体つき is typically used in a subjective sense regarding outward characteristics, whereas 体格 is typically used in a objective sense regarding height (身長), weight (体重), etc.
9. いい体つきをしているのは、スーツ姿からも分かった。
I could tell that (he) had a nice body just form how (he) looked in a suit.
10. 黒スーツを着た体格がいい男が、玄関の前に立っていた。
A well-built man wearing a black suit was standing in front of (our) front door.
Hair
毛
Next, we will discuss the words pertaining to body hair.
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 毛 | け | Body hair | Core |
| 体毛 | タイモウ | Body hair | Technical |
| 産毛 | うぶげ | Downy hair | Technical |
| 白髪 | しらが | Grey hair | Core |
| 縮れ毛 | ちぢれげ | Frizzy hair | Technical |
| 鼻毛 | はなげ | Nose hair | Core |
| 胸毛 | むなげ | Chest hair | Core |
| 腹毛 | はらげ | Abdominal hair | Technical |
| 陰毛 | いんもう | Pubic hair | Core |
| 耳毛 | みみげ | Ear hair | Technical |
| 脛毛 | すねげ | Leg hair | Technical |
| 指毛 | ゆびげ | Finger hair | Technical |
| 髭 | ひげ | Beard/mustache | Core |
| 睫（毛） | まつげ | Eyelash | Core |
| 眉（毛） | まゆ（げ） | Eyebrow | Core |
| 埋没毛 | マイボツモウ | Ingrown hair | Technical |
| 柔毛・絨毛 | ジュウモウ | Villus | Technical |
| 毛包 毛嚢 | モウホウ モウノウ | Hair follicle | Technical |
| 毛穴 | けあな | Hair follicle | Core |
| 毛根 | モウコン | Hair root | Technical |
| 脱毛 | ダツモウ | Hair loss | Technical/Core |
Word Notes:
①The development of hair (発毛) in humans may or may not be controlled by hormones (ホルモン). Hair that forms via sex hormones is called 性毛. All hair, thus, can be categorized by the role sex hormones play in development: male hair (男性毛), female hair (女性毛), ambisexual hair 両性毛, asexual hair (無性毛). Hair that develops during puberty (思春期) due to hormones are also examples of secondary sex traits (第二次性徴).
②脱毛 has two meanings. It either refers to hair loss (抜け毛) or hair removal. In the case of hair removal, if the hair is being removed from the root (毛根), then you use 脱毛, but if it the hair is only being removed from the surface, you use 除毛.
Kanji Notes:
①There are three Kanji for “beard/mustache” depending on where the hair is on the face. Facial hair around the mouth is （口）髭, facial hair on the jawline is （顎）鬚, and facial hair on the cheeks is （頬）髯.
11. 胸毛が濃い原因は何ですか。
What is the cause of (one’s) chest hair being thick?
12. 先日間違えて睫毛を切ってしまったんです。
I mistakenly cut off my eyelashes the other day.
13. テイラー君の我が儘な行為に、周囲の人たちは眉を顰めた。
The people around Taylor-kun frowned at his selfish conduct.
14. 出先でひげを剃り忘れたことに気づいた。
I realized that I had forgotten to shave (once I was at) where I had gone.
15. 一日だけで黒ずんだ毛穴を綺麗にすることは難しい。
Cleaning up blackheads in just one day is not feasible.
16. 一度白髪になった毛根からは、８割は再び白髪が生えてくる。
Roughly 80% of roots which have spawned grey hair once will grow grey hair again.
Parts of the Head
頭部の部位
In our thorough coverage of body parts found in the head region, we will first look at the core expressions that define the macro terms used to describe this area.
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 頭 | あたま | Head | Core |
| 頭部 | トウブ | Head | Technical/Core |
| 額 | ひたい | Forehead | Core |
| 髪（の毛） | かみ（のけ） | Hair | Core |
| 口 | くち | Mouth | Core |
| 目・眼 | め | Eye(s) | Core |
| 目蓋・瞼 | まぶた | Eyelid(s) | Core |
| 目玉 | めだま | Eyeball(s) | Core |
| 歯 | は | Tooth/teeth | Core |
| 鼻 | はな | Nose | Core |
| 唇 | くちびる | Lip(s) | Core |
| 頬 | ほお・ほほ | Cheek(s) | Core |
| こめかみ | こめかみ | Temple | Core |
| 顔 | かお | Face | Core |
| 耳 | みみ | Ear(s) | Core |
| 首5 | くび | Neck/head | Core |
| 舌 | した | Tongue | Core |
| 顎 | あご | Jaw(s) | Core |
| 頭蓋骨 | ズガイコツ | Skull | Technical/Core |
| 喉 | のど | Throat | Core |
Grammar Notes:
①To indicate “left” and “right,” the prefixes 左（ひだり・サ）～ and 右（みぎ・ウ）～ are respectively attached to the front of the body part. Their Sino-Japanese readings are only found in anatomical jargon.
②The prefix 両～ (both) is used to refer to the “left/right” or “upper/lower” pairs of body parts such as the “eyes (両目)” “ears (両耳),” etc.
③For the prefixes mentioned in ①②, the particle の may intervene between the prefix and the body part, but this is not common. However, when using 左右の (left and right…) rather than 両～, の becomes imperative.
④To indicate “upper” and lower,” the prefixes 上（うわ・ジョウ）～ and 下（した・カ）～ are respectively attached to the front of the body part. Their Sino-Japanese readings are only found in anatomical jargon.
Kanji Notes:
①目 has a much broader meaning than 眼 in that it can refer to any sort of eye such as the “eye of a typhoon” 台風の目, whereas 眼 strictly refers to the anatomical eye.
②眼 may also be read as まなこ.
③Colloquially, 瞳 may also be read as め.
④The spelling 目蓋 for “eyelid” is in line with its etymology of meaning “lid of the eye(s),” but the spelling 瞼 is actually predominant.
⑤脣 is a rare Kanji variant of 唇.
⑥Rare Kanji spellings for こめかみ (temple) include 蟀谷・顳顬.
⑦頸・頚 are alternative Kanji for 首 (neck).
⑧腭 is a rare Kanji variant of 顎 (jaw).
Word Notes:
①頭 also has the readings こうべ and かしら. Both words are archaic, but they are still used in set phrases. As for かしら, it may also mean “head person,” and it is also seen in the phrase 頭文字 (first letter of a word).
②The “forehead” may be colloquially referred to as お凸. The reading ぬか for 額 is an archaic reading. As for the space between the eyebrows on the forehead, that is called 眉間.
17. 自分が息子の首を絞めた。
I myself strangled my son’s neck.
18. 久しぶりに嫌な報道を目にしました。
I caught a glimpse of an unpleasant news report, which had been a while.
19. 唇が腫れています。
(My) lips are swollen.
20. 顎が外れたら自分で治せます？
If you dislocate your jaw, can you fix it yourself?
21. 臭くて思わず鼻を摘まんでしまいました。
It smelled so bad that I couldn’t help but pinch my nose shut.
22. 車のトランクに頭をぶつけてしまった。
I hit my head on the trunk of my car.
③The anatomical word for “mouth” is 口腔. The medical pronunciation is コウクウ, but the layman pronunciation is コウコウ. Important mouth-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 扁桃腺 | ヘントウセン | Tonsils | Technical/Core |
| 口蓋 | コウガイ | Palate | Technical |
| 軟口蓋 | ナンコウガイ | Soft palate | Technical |
| 硬口蓋 | コウコウガイ | Hard palate | Technical |
| 口蓋垂 | コウガイスイ | Uvula | Technical |
| 喉彦 | のどびこ6 のどひこ | Uvula | Core |
| 喉ちんこ | のどちんこ | Uvula | Core (Casual) |
| 口臭 | コウシュウ | Mouth odor | Technical/Core |
| 口角 | コウカク | Corners of the mouth | Technical/Core |
23. 口臭が気になって1日に何度も歯を磨くという人がいます。
There are people who brush their teeth countless times a day because of how they are concerned about their mouth odor.
24. 扁桃腺を取ると聞くと不安かもしれませんが、大人になってからであれば、身体に悪影響を与えることはありません。
One might be worried when told to remove one’s tonsils, but so long as this is done once one is an adult, there are no negative effects to the body.
25. [ɴ]は口蓋垂で発音される音です。
[ɴ] is a sound pronounced with the uvula.
④Important eye-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 左目 左眼 | ひだりめ | Left eye | Core |
| 右目 右眼 | みぎめ | Right eye | Core |
| 両目 両眼 | リョウめ リョウガン | Both eyes | Core |
| 眼球 | ガンキュウ | Eyeball(s) | Technical/Core |
| 目玉 | めだま | Eyeball(s) | Core |
| 肉眼 | ニクガン | The naked eye | Core |
| 眼瞼 | ガンケン | Eyelid | Technical |
| 目蓋・瞼 | まぶた ◎ まなぶた まぶち まなぶち | Eyelid | Core Dialectal/Literary Dialectal/Literary Dialectal/Literary |
| 上瞼 | うわまぶた | Upper eyelid(s) | Core |
| 下瞼 | したまぶた | Lower eyelid(s) | Core |
| 双眼 | ソウガン | Both eyes Binocular | Technical |
| 眼窩 | ガンカ | Eye socket | Technical |
| 眼孔 | ガンコウ | Eye socket | Technical/Core |
| 目脂 | めやに | Eye mucus | Core |
| 目配せ | めくばせ | Winking | Core |
| 眼科 | ガンカ | Ophthalmology | Technical/Core |
| 血眼 | ちまなこ ◎ ちめ | Bloodshot eye(s) | Core Dialectal |
| 寝惚け眼 | ねぼけまなこ | Sleepy eyes | Literary |
| 目頭 | めがしら | Inner canthus | Core |
| 目尻・眦・眥 | まなじり ◎ まじり めじり まなこじり まなさき | Corner of the eye | Core Dialectal Dialectal Dialectal Dialectal |
| 眉 | まゆ ◎ まみえ | Eyebrow | Core Dialectal/Literary |
| 左眉（毛） | ひだりまゆ（げ） | Left eyebrow | Core |
| 右眉（毛） | みぎまゆ（げ） | Right eyebrow | Core |
| 眉根 | まゆね | Part of eyebrow closest to the nose | Core |
| 眉尻 | まゆじり | Part of eyebrow farthest from the nose | Core |
| 眉頭 | まゆがしら | Inner ends of eyebrows | Core |
| 睫毛 | まつげ ショウモウ | Eyelash(es) | Core Technical |
| 上睫 | うわまつげ | Upper eyelash(es) | Core |
| 下睫 | したまつげ | Lower eyelash(es) | Core |
| 瞳 | ひとみ | Pupil | Core |
| 瞳孔 | ドウコウ | Pupil | Technical/Core |
| 虹彩 | コウサイ | Iris | Technical |
| 毛様体 | モウヨウタイ | Ciliary body | Technical |
| 脈絡膜 | ミャクラクマク | Choroid | Technical |
| 角膜 | カクマク | Cornea | Technical/Core |
| 水晶体 | スイショウタイ | Lens | Technical |
| 網膜 | モウマク | Retina | Technical/Core |
| 隅角 | グウカク | Angle (of the eye) | Technical |
| 結膜 | ケツマク | Conjunctiva | Technical |
| 強膜 | キョウマク | Sclera | Technical |
| 黄斑部 | オウハンブ | Macula | Technical |
| 中心窩 | チュウシンカ | Fovea | Technical |
⑤The anatomical words for “left eyelid” and “right eyelid” respectively are 左眼瞼(サガンケン) and 右眼瞼(ウガンケン).
⑥The shorter pronunciation まゆ for 眉 meaning “eyebrow” is usually seen in set phrases such as 眉を顰める (to raise one’s eyebrows).
26. 人間の肉眼で見える、1番小さい物は何でしょうか？
What is the smallest thing that the human naked eye can see?
27. これまで、瞳孔の収縮・拡大プロセスは完全に無意識に行われると考えられてきました。
Up to now, it has been thought that the processes of the pupil contracting and expanded were carried out completely unconsciously.
28. 欧米人には、緑色の眼の人が多くいらっしゃって、これは虹彩の色で瞳の色ではありません。
There are many people among Westerners who have green eyes, but this is the color of their irises, not their pupils.
29. 僕は、大混雑している中を血眼になって財布を探した。
I searched for my wallow through as it was super crowded in a frenzy (lit. with bloodshot eyes).
30. 網膜には痛みを感じる神経がないので、痛みで網膜剥離に気づくことはない。
Since there is no nerve to feel pain in the retina, you won’t notice that your retinal has detached from pain.
⑦Important tooth-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 切歯 | セッシ | Incisor | Technical |
| 犬歯 | ケンシ | Canine tooth | Technical/Core |
| 糸切り歯 | いときりば | Canine tooth | Literary |
| 臼歯 | キュウシ | Molar | Technical |
| 小臼歯 | ショウキュウシ | Premolar | Technical |
| 大臼歯 後臼歯 | ダイキュウシ コウキュウシ | True molar | Technical |
| 前歯 | まえば ゼンシ | Front tooth | Core Technical |
| 奥歯 | おくば | Back tooth | Core |
| 親知らず | おやしらず | Wisdom tooth | Core |
| 歯茎・齦 | はぐき シケイ | Gums | Core Technical |
| 歯肉 | シニク | Gums | Technical |
| 歯根 | シコン | Tooth root | Technical |
| 歯石 | シセキ | Tartar | Technical |
| 歯垢 | シコウ | Plaque | Technical |
| 歯槽 | シソウ | Dental alveolus | Technical |
| 出っ歯 | でっぱ | Protruding tooth | Core |
| 虫歯 | むしば | Cavity | Core |
| 齲歯 | ウシ | Cavity | Technical |
| 入れ歯 | いれば | False tooth | Core |
| 義歯 | ギシ | Artificial tooth | Technical |
| 乳歯 | ニュウシ | Baby tooth | Technical |
| 永久歯 | エイキュウシ | Permanent tooth | Technical |
| 歯形 | はがた | Tooth mold | Technical |
| 歯並び | はならび | Row of teeth | Core |
| 歯列 | シレツ | Row of teeth | Technical |
| 歯痛 | シツウ | Toothache | Technical |
| 歯学 | シガク | Dentistry | Technical |
| 歯科医 | シカイ | Dentist | Technical |
| 抜歯 | バッシ | Tooth extraction | Technical |
| 歯列矯正 | シレツキョウセウ | Orthodontics | Technical |
| 歯列矯正器 | シレツキョウセイキ | Braces | Technical |
| 歯周病 | シシュウビョウ | Gum disease | Technical |
| 歯磨き | はみがき | Teeth brushing | Core |
| 歯磨き粉 | はみがきこ | Toothpaste | Core |
⑧知恵歯 and 知歯・智歯 are both direct translations of the English word “wisdom teeth,” which although technical in nature are not as predominant in use as 親知らず.
⑨お歯医者さん is the proper means of addressing a dentist. 歯科医 would refer to the dental practice you visit.
31. 歯並びが悪いと、食べ物をうまく噛めなかったり歯の間に食べ物が挟まったりする恐れがあります。
When your teeth alignment is bad, you run the risks of not being able to chew your food properly and having food get stuck in between your teeth.
32. お歯医者さんに虫歯を抜いてもらったほうがいいですよ。
You’d better have a dentist pull out your cavity.
33. 親知らずは抜いたほうがいいですか。
Is it best to get your wisdom teeth removed?
34. 今の夫は、ありがたいことに私の出っ歯をかわいいと言ってくれて、矯正にはむしろ消極的です。
My current husband thankfully tells me that my buckteeth are cute, and if anything, has been negative towards me fixing them.
35. 歯列矯正治療の平均費用はいくらですか。
How much does the average expenses for orthodontics treatment cost?
⑩Important nose-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 鼻の孔 | はなのあな | Nostril(s) | Core |
| 鼻孔 | ビコウ | Nostril(s) | Technical/Core |
| 小鼻 | こばな | Nostrils | Core |
| 鼻腔 | ビコウ ビクウ | Nasal cavity | Technical/Core |
| 副鼻腔 | フクビコウ フクビクウ | Paranasal sinus | Technical |
| 外鼻 | ガイビ | External nose | Technical |
| 鼻毛 | はなげ | Nose hair | Core |
| 鼻根 | ビコン | Root of the nose | Technical |
| 鼻梁 | ビリョウ | Bridge of the nose | Technical |
| 鼻筋 | はなすじ | Bridge of the nose | Core |
| 鼻柱 | はなばしら | Septum | Core |
| 鼻先 | はなさき | Tip of the nose | Core |
| 鼻中隔 | ビチュウカク | Nasal septum | Technical |
| 鼻背 | ビハイ | Dorsum of the bone | Technical |
| 鼻翼 | ビヨク | Nasal ala | Technical |
| 鼻骨 | ビコツ | Nasal bone | Technical |
| 鼻尖 | ビセン | Apex of the nose | Technical |
| 鼻甲介 | ビコウカイ | Nasal concha | Technical |
| 鼻道 | ビドウ | Nasal meatus | Technical |
| 鼻涙管 | ビルイカン | Nasolacrimal duct | Technical |
| 鼻前庭 | ビゼンテイ | Nasal vestibule | Technical |
| 鼻血 | はなぢ | Nose bleed | Core |
| 鼻水 | はなみず | Nasal mucus | Core |
| 鼻息 | はないき | Nasal breathing | Core |
| 鼻声 | はなごえ | Nasal voice | Core |
| 洟 | はな | Sniffles | Core |
⑪鼻腔 is read as ビクウ in the medical field, but it is colloquially read as ビコウ. The same can be said for 副鼻腔.
36. セスさんは小鼻を膨らませて、それがどうしたんだといった風の表情をしながら、わざとテイラー君を見た。
Seth-san flared his nostrils and had a look as if to say “so what of it?” as he deliberately looked at Taylor-kun.
37. 鼻血が止まらない。
My nose bleeds won’t stop.
38. 鼻毛を抜くと、風邪をひきやすくなる。
If you pluck your nose hair, you’re more likely to catch a cold.
39. 鼻筋が通っている。
For the bridge of one’s nose to be straight.
⑫Important lip-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 口唇 | コウシン | Lips | Technical |
| 上唇 | うわくちびる ジョウシン | Upper lip | Core Technical |
| 下唇 | したくちびる カシン | Lower lip | Core Technical |
⑬Important cheek-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 頬 | ほお・ほほ | Cheek(s) | Core |
| 面 | つら | Cheek(s) | Archaic |
| 笑窪・靨 | えくぼ | Dimple(s) | Core |
⑭Colloquial variants for 頬 include ほっぺ, ほっぺた, and ほおべた.
⑮In older Japanese, 面 was also used to refer to “cheeks,” and is still seen with this meaning in some expressions such as 横（っ）面 (side of the face) and ツラの皮が厚い (literally: “for one’s cheek skin to be thick” meaning “to be brazen”).
40. ねえ、僕のほっぺた、つねてくれない？
Hey, could you pinch my cheek real good?
41. えくぼのある人はモテる？
Are people with dimples popular?
⑯Important face-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 顔 | かお | Face | Core |
| 顔面 | ガンメン | Front of the face | Core |
| 顔色 | かおいろ | Complexion | Core |
| 顔立ち | かおだち | Facial features | Core |
| 顳顬 | こめかみ ◎ こうがめ ショウジュ | Temple | Core Dialectal Technical |
| 顔つき | かおつき | Facial expression | Core |
| 顔 | かんばせ | Visage | Archaic |
| 笑顔 | えがお | Smiling face | Core |
| 横顔 | よこがお | Profile | Core |
| 瓜実顔 | うりざねがお | Oval face | Technical/Core |
| 顔文字 | かおもじ | Emoticon | Core |
42. マスクで目元しか見えていないのに、「顔色が悪いね」と言われるのはなぜ？
Why is it that I’m told “your complexion is bad” when all (they) can see with my mask is the area around my eyes?
43. 明るい笑顔の人が周囲の人も明るくする。
Cheerful people with smiles on their faces brighten up the people around them.
44. 横顔から見ると鼻が出っ張っているよねと言われてきました。
I’ve come to be told (as of late) that my nose looks like it’s sticking out when my face is seen from the side.
⑰Important ear-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 左耳 | ひだりみみ | Left ear | Core |
| 右耳 | みぎみみ | Right ear | Core |
| 両耳 | リョウみみ | Both ear | Core |
| 外耳 | ガイジ | Outer ear | Technical |
| 中耳 | チュウジ | Middle ear | Technical |
| 内耳 | ナイジ | Inner ear | Technical |
| 耳朶 | みみたぶ ◎ みみたぼ ジダ | Earlobe | Core Dialectal Technical |
| 耳垂 | ジスイ | Earlobe | Technical |
| 耳介 | ジカイ | Auricle | Technical |
| 耳珠 | ジジュ | Tragus | Technical |
| 耳輪 | ジリン | Helix | Technical |
| 対耳輪 | タイジリン | Antihelix | Technical |
| 外耳道 | ガイジドウ | External ear canal | Technical |
| 外耳孔 | ガイジコウ | External acoustic aperture | Technical |
| 鼓膜 | コマク | Eardrum | Technical/Core |
| 鼓室 | コシツ | Tympanic cavity | Technical |
| 槌骨 | つちコツ ◎ ツイコツ | Malleus | Technical |
| 砧骨 | きぬたコツ ◎ チンコツ | Incus | Technical |
| 鐙骨 | あぶみコツ ◎ トウコツ | Stirrup | Technical |
| 耳管 | ジカン | Auditory canal | Technical |
| エウスタキオ管 | えうすたきおカン | Eustachian tube | Technical |
| 耳垢 | みみあか | Earwax | Core |
| 人工内耳 | ジンコウナイジ | Cochlear implant | Technical |
| 三半規管 | サンハンキカン | Semicircular canals | Technical |
| 前庭 | ゼンテイ | Vestibule | Technical |
| 蝸牛 | カギュウ | Cochlea | Technical |
| 餃子耳 | ギョウザみみ | Cauliflower ear | Technical |
| 耳鼻咽喉科 | ジビインコウカ | Otolaryngology | Technical |
| 耳鳴り | みみなり | Tinnitus | Core |
| 耳かき | みみかき | Earpick | Core |
| 中耳炎 | チュウジエン | Otitis media | Technical |
| 完骨 | みみせせ | Mastoid bone | Technical7 |
45. なかなか片耳の耳鳴りが消えないんです。
The ringing in one of my ears just won’t go away.
46. 耳垢の乾性と湿性の割合は人種によって大きく異なります。
The percentages of people with dry or wet earwax differ greatly depending on race.
47. 耳管の内側は粘膜で覆われています。
The inside of the auditory/Eustachian tube is covered with a mucous membrane.
48. 中耳炎とは、喉や鼻の奥にある菌が鼻から耳に繋がる耳管を通って中耳に侵入して炎症を起こす病気です。
Otitis media is a illness described as the inflammation caused by bacteria invading the middle area from the throat/back of the nose traveling through the Eustachian tube which connects the nose and ear.
⑱Important neck-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Importance |
| 首 | くび | Neck/head | Core |
| 頸部 | ケイブ | Neck region | Technical |
| 頭頚部 頭頸部 | トウケイブ | Head and neck region | Technical |
| 首筋 | くびすじ | Nape of the neck | Core |
| 首根っこ | くびねっこ | Scruff of the neck | Core |
⑲The word くび refers to the whole neck/head region, and depending on the context, it may be more natural to translate it as “head” instead of “neck” in English. くび is also seen as an integral part of the name of various body parts in which its meaning is more so akin to “where x attaches” – ex. 手首 = wrist (lit. where the hand attaches).
49. 首根っこを掴まれて「こっちを見ろ！」って言われた。
I was grabbed by the scruff of my neck and told, “look at me!”
50. 首を大きく左右に倒して，首筋を伸ばしてみてください。
Try tossing your head left and right to stretch the nape of your neck.
⑳Important tongue-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 舌 | した | Tongue | Core |
| べろ | べろ | Tongue | Dialectal |
| 味蕾 | ミライ | Taste buds | Technical |
| 舌乳頭 | ゼツニュウトウ | Lingual papillae | Technical |
| 舌腱膜 | ゼツケンマク | Lingual aponeurosis | Technical |
| 舌小帯 | ゼツショウタイ | Lingual frenum | Technical |
| 唾液腺 | ダエキセン | Saliva glands | Technical |
| 舌根 | ゼッコン | Root of the tongue | Technical |
| 唾液 | ダエキ | Saliva | Technical/Core |
| 唾 | つば ◎ つわ つばき | Spit | Core Archaic Archaic |
| 涎 | よだれ ◎ ゆだれ よど | Drool | Core Dialectal Dialectal |
51. 両耳を塞いでキスすると、舌や唾液を絡める音が頭の中で響いて全然違った印象になる。
When you kiss (someone) with both of your ears plugged, the sounds of your tongues and saliva mixing together echo through your head, leaving a completely different impression.
52. 舌は柔らかい組織なので力を入れて強く磨くと味を感じる味蕾を傷つけてしまう恐れがある。
Because the tongue is a soft tissue, if you put into too much strength when you brush it, there is the chance that you may injury your taste buds which detect flavor.
53. うっかり舌を噛んでしまった。
I inadvertently bit my tongue.
㉑Important jaw-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 顎 | あご | Jaw | Core |
| 上顎 | うわあご ジョウガク | Upper jaw | Core Technical |
| 下顎 | したあご カガク | Lower jaw | Core Technical |
| 頤 | おとがい | Chin | Technical |
54. 頤は、下顎の先端を指します。
“The chin” refers to the tip of the lower jaw.
55. 顎をしっかり引くことはできますか？
Can you properly tuck your chin in?
㉒Important skull-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 頭蓋骨 | ズガイコツ トウガイコツ | Skull Cranium | Core Technical |
| 髑髏 | ドクロ しゃれこうべ しゃりこうべ されこうべ | Skull Death’s head | Literary |
56. この洞窟には、古代の髑髏がたくさん残されている。
There are many ancient skulls left in this cave.
㉓Important brain-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 脳 | ノウ | Brain | Core |
| 頭脳 | ズノウ | Brain | Technical/Core |
| 脳髄 | ノウズイ | Brain | Literary |
| 大脳 | ダイノウ | Cerebrum | Technical |
| 小脳 | ショウノウ | Cerebellum | Technical |
| 中脳 | チュウノウ | Mesencephalon | Technical |
| 間脳 | カンノウ | Diencephalon | Technical |
| 海馬 | カイバ | Hippocampus | Technical |
| 延髄 | エンズイ | Medulla oblongata | Technical |
| 橋 | キョウ | Pons | Technical |
| 脊髄 | セキズイ | Spinal cord | Technical/Core |
| 前頭葉 | ゼントウヨウ | Frontal lobe | Technical |
| 頭頂葉 | トウチョウヨウ | Parietal lobe | Technical |
| 側頭葉 | ソクトウヨウ | Temporal lobe | Technical |
| 後頭葉 | コウトウヨウ | Occipital lobe | Technical |
| 中心溝 | チュウシンコウ | Central sulcus | Technical |
| 大脳溝 | ダイノウコウ | Cerebral sulci | Technical |
| 大脳皮質 | ダイノウヒシツ | Cerebral cortex | Technical |
| 脳膜 | ノウマク | Meninges | Technical |
| クモ膜 | くもマク | Arachnoid membrane | Technical |
| 硬膜 | コウマク | Dura mater | Technical |
| 脳漿 | ノウショウ | Grey matter | Technical |
| 髄膜 | ズイマク | Meninges | Technical |
57. 脳を鍛えるには運動しかない！
The only thing one has to train one’s brain is exercise!
58. クモ膜下出血とは、強い頭部打撲によって起こる出血です。
A subarachnoid hemorrhage is a hemorrhage caused by a strong blow to the head region.
㉔Important throat-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 喉 | のど | Throat | Core |
| 咽喉 | インコウ | Throat | Technical |
| 咽頭 | イントウ | Pharynx | Technical |
| 咽頭蓋 | イントウガイ | Epiglottis | Technical |
| 喉頭 | コウトウ | Larynx | Technical |
| 気管 | キカン | Trachea | Technical/Core |
| 喉仏 | のどぼとけ | Adam’s apple | Core |
| 喉骨 | のどぼね | Adam’s apple | Literary |
| 喉頭隆起 | イントウリュウキ | Laryngeal protuberance | Technical |
59. 児童が給食中に喉を詰まらせて息ができない。
Children are unable to breathe from choking during their meal time.
Parts of the Arm
腕の部位
The next parts of the body we will look into pertain to the arm, and by extension, the hands.
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 腕 | うで ◎ かいな ただむき | Arm (Upper) arm (Lower) arm | Core Archaic Archaic |
| 上肢 | ジョウシ | Upper limbs | Technical |
| 左腕 | ひだりうで ◎ サワン | Left arm | Core Technical |
| 右腕 | みぎうで ◎ ウワン | Right arm | Core Technical |
| 両腕 | うで | Both arms | Core |
| 手 | て | Hand(s) | Core |
| 左手 | ひだりて ◎ ゆんで | Left hand | Core Archaic |
| 右手 | みぎて ◎ めて | Right hand | Core Archaic |
| 両手 | リョウて | Both hands | Core |
| 前腕 | ゼンワン | Forearm | Technical/Core |
| 上腕 | ジョウワン | Upper arm | Technical/Core |
| 二の腕 | ニのうで | Upper arm Lower arm | Technical Archaic |
| 一の腕 | イチのうで | Upper arm | Archaic |
| 腋（の下） | わき（のした） | Armpit | Core |
| 腋下 | エキカ | Axilla | Technical |
| 肘 | ひじ | Elbow | Core |
| 肘窩 | チュウカ | Cubital fossa | Technical |
| 指 | ゆび | Finger | Core |
| 指紋 | シモン | Fingerprint | Core |
| 爪 | つめ | Nail | Core |
| 手首 | てくび | Wrist | Core |
| 手の踝 | てのくるぶし | Wrist | Dialectal |
| 手の平 | てのひら | Palm | Core |
| 掌 | たなごころ | Palm | Core |
| 手の甲 | てのコウ | Back of the hand | Core |
| 拳 | こぶし | Fist(s) | Core |
| 二頭筋 | ニトウキン | Biceps | Technical |
| 三頭筋 | サントウキン | Triceps | Technical |
Word Notes:
①The native word うで covers the length of the arm from the shoulder to the wrist. In older Japanese, however, it only referred from the wrist to the elbow and also went by 腕・臂(ただむき). As for the “shoulder to the elbow” in older Japanese, we see the word 腕（かいな） used, which is still used in sumo wrestling.
②The five fingers all have a number of names which can be categorized by importance and etymology.
| English | Finger # | Core | 漢語 | Infant | Dialect |
| Thumb | 第一指 | 親指 拇 | 拇指・母指（ボシ） | お父さん指 | |
| Index | 第二指 | 人差し指 | 食指 示指 | お母さん指 | 塩嘗め指 |
| Middle | 第三指 | 中指 | 中指（チュウシ） | お兄さん指 | 高々指 丈高指 |
| Ring | 第四指 | 薬指 | 薬指 環指 無名指 | お姉さん指 | 薬師指 名無し指 紅差し指 紅付け指 |
| Pinky | 第五指 | 小指(こゆび) | 小指(ショウシ) | 赤ちゃん指 |
Kanji Notes:
①Alternative Kanji for ひじ meaning “elbow” include 肱 and 臂.
②To specify “toe” in Kanji in the medical field, 趾 exists, but it is rarely used.
60. 自分が爪を噛んでる姿を人に見られるのが恥ずかしいなぁ。
I’m really embarrassed from other people seeing me chew at my nails.
61. 同じ指紋を持つ人は二人と存在しません。
There are no two people who have the same fingerprints.
62. 手の甲にとるようにしてください。
Literally: Please make sure you take it on the back of the hand.
Please be sure to take it for what it is.
63. 外国の方に中指を立てると怒るのは何故ですか。
Why is it that foreigners get angry when you raise your middle finger (at them)?
64. 上腕二頭筋は、力瘤と呼ばれる部分の筋肉で、肘を曲げたまま重い荷物を持つ時に使われる。
The biceps, known as the muscles called “the flex of strength,” are used when holding heavy luggage while bending one’s elbow.
Parts of the Torso
胴体の部位
The next parts of the body we will look into pertain to the torso.
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 胴（体） | ドウ（タイ） | Torso | Technical/Core |
| 胴部 | ドウブ | Torso | Technical |
| 腹 | はら | Stomach | Core |
| 肩 | かた | Shoulder | Core |
| 腹部 | フクブ | Abdomen | Technical |
| 胸 | むね | Chest | Core |
| 胸部 | キョウブ | Chest | Technical/Core |
| 胸郭 | キョウカク | Thorax | Technical |
| 胸腔 | キョウクウ キョウコウ | Chest cavity | Technical |
| 胸板 | むないた | Chest | Literary |
| 胸骨 | キョウコツ | Sternum | Technical |
| 胸膜(腔) | キョウマク（クウ） キョウマク（コウ） | Pleura(l cavity) | Technical |
| 胸腺 | キョウセン | Thymus | Technical |
| 乳房 | ニュウボウ ちぶさ | Breast(s) | Technical/Core |
| 臍 | へそ | Navel | Technical/Core |
| 臍部 | サイブ | Navel | Technical |
| 臍の緒 | へそのお | Umbilical cord | Technical/Core |
| 臍帯 | サイタイ | Umbilical cord | Technical |
| 鳩尾 | キュウビ みぞおち ◎ | Solar plexus | Technical |
| 心窩 | シンカ | Solar plexus | Technical |
| 肋骨 | ロッコツ あばらぼね | Rib(s) | Technical/Core |
| 鎖骨 | サコツ | Collar bone | Technical/Core |
| 横隔膜 | オウカクマク | Diaphragm | Technical/Core |
| 胸筋 | キョウキン | Pectoral(s) | Technical/Core |
| 体幹 | タイカン | Trunk | Technical/Core |
| 骨盤 | コツバン | Pelvis | Technical/Core |
| 背中 | せなか | Back | Core |
| 腰 | こし | Waist | Core |
| 脊椎 | セキツイ | Spine | Technical/Core |
| 脊柱 | セキチュウ | Spinal column | Technical/Core |
| 腹筋 | フッキン | Abs | Technical/Core |
| 椎骨 | ツイコツ | Vertebra(e) | Technical/Core |
| 鼠径部 鼠蹊部 | ソケイブ | Groin | Technical |
| 股間 | コカン | Crotch | Core |
| 下腹部 | カフクブ | Lower abdomen | Technical |
| 心窩部 | シンカブ | Epigastric region | Technical |
| 季肋部 | キロクブ | Hypochondrium | Technical |
| 側腹部 | ソクフクブ | Lateral region | Technical |
| 横腹 | よこばら | Flank | Core |
| 脇腹 | わきばら | Side of torso | Core |
| お尻 | おしり | Butt | Core |
| 臀部 | デンブ | Buttock(s) | Technical |
| 肛門 | コウモン | Anus | Technical/Core |
Word Notes:
①The native word for abdomen/stomach is 腹, but in today’s speech, it is associated with male speech, as お腹 is preferred in everyday speech.
②胸腔 is read as キョウクウ in the medical field, but it is colloquially read as キョウコウ. The same can be said for 胸膜(腔).
③The word 胸 can refer to both the “chest” and to “breasts/bosom” of either gender. In certain contexts, it may also refer to any number of organs (idiomatically) located in/near the chest such as the heart, lungs, or even stomach. It may also figuratively refer to one’s heart/mind.
④The native word for “breast” may also be simply understood as 乳, which is either read as ちち or ち. This word can also refer to “breast milk.” Many words derive from this such as 乳兄弟 (foster sibling) 乳飲み子 (suckling child).
⑤鳩尾 derives from 水落ち (where water falls [after drinking]). It also goes by the Sino-Japanese inspired version of this in literature – 水月.
⑥鎖骨 is the “collar bone.” In the sense of “to grab someone by the collar,” we see the phrase 胸倉を掴む, which refers to grabbing both sides of the collar to Japanese-style clothing. 襟 may refer to to the “scruff of the neck” as well as “collar” in clothing.
⑦The difference between 背 and 背中 is that the former refers to the full back(side), whereas the latter literally refers to the middle of the back. The former may also be used in the sense of “height/stature.” 背 has two readings: せ and せい. The former reading is associated with “the back,” while the latter reading means “stature.” Compare 背伸び (stretching one’s back) and 背格好 (height/size). The latter word actually can be heard pronounced as せかっこう, but せいかっこう is the traditionally correct reading.
⑧腰 means “hips/waist but also includes the lower back (lumbar region). When referring to one’s waist as in measurement, the words 胴回り/ウエスト are used.
⑨The “groin” is often colloquially referred to as 腿の付け根 (root of the thigh).
65. 肩幅が広くて入る服がないのです。
My shoulders are wide, and so there aren’t clothes I can fit in.
66. 「こちょこちょこちょ」と彼氏の脇腹を擽った。
I went “tickle, tickle, tickle,” as I tickled my boyfriend’s flanks.
67. 深々と９０度腰を折ってお辞儀をしていました。
I had been bowing deeply with my waist bent at a 90° angle.
68. ベルトでお尻を叩かれた。
I was spanked on the butt with a belt.
69. バイクの転倒などで複数の肋骨を折ってしまうことがあります。
There are situations in which (people) break multiple rib bones due to motorcycle falls and the like.
70. 胸を張って堂々と生きよう。
Literally: Let’s live life proudly with our chests puffed out.
Let’s live proudly with our heads held high.
71. 息を吸うとき、横隔膜が下がる。
When one breathes, one’s diaphragm goes down.
72. 救急隊員は臍の緒を切った。
The paramedic cut the umbilical cord.
73. 両腕を後方に振って胴体を捻じります。
Wave both arms backward and twist your torso.
74. クランチは腹筋の基本！
Crunches are the key to abs!
75. 「歩く、座る、立つ」などという基本的な動作には全て体幹が関わります。
The trunk of the body is involved in all basic actions such as “walking, sitting, and standing.”
76. あの黒の帽子を被った男性は、以前から万引きの疑いでお店がマークしていた人物に背格好が似ている。
That man wearing the black hat resembles the person the store had marked for shoplifting in the past in stature.
The Privates
陰部の部位
Next, we will look into the standard, anatomically correct terminology regarding private parts. Euphemisms and slang terminology, due to the sensitivities surrounding these words, will be for you to discover.
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 陰部 | インブ | Private area | Technical |
| 股間 | コカン | Groin | Technical/Core |
| 股座・胯座 | またぐら | Crotch | Technical/Core |
| 男性器 | ダンセイキ | Male genitalia | Technical/Core |
| 女性器 | ジョセイキ | Female genitalia | Technical/Core |
| 泌尿器 | ヒニョウキ | Urinary organ | Technical |
| 生殖器 | セイショクキ | Reproductive organ | Technical |
| 性器 | セイキ | Sex organ | Technical/Core |
| 陰茎 | インケイ | Penis | Technical/Core |
| 陰嚢 | インノウ ふぐり | Scrotum | Technical Technical/Core |
| 睾丸 | コウガン | Testicle | Technical |
| 膣 | チツ | Vagina | Technical/Core |
Parts of the Legs/Feet
脚・足の部位
Next, we will go over the parts of the legs and feet.
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 脚 | あし | Leg | Core |
| 足 | あし | Foot | Core |
| 下肢8 | カシ | Lower limbs | Technical |
| 太腿 | ふともも | Thigh Buttocks | Core |
| 股・腿9 | もも | Thigh | Core |
| 大腿 | ダイタイ | Thigh | Technical/Core |
| 上腿 | ジョウタイ | Upper Thigh | Technical |
| 下腿 | カタイ | Shank | Technical |
| 小腿 | ショウタイ | Calf | Technical |
| 脹脛 | ふくらはぎ | Calf | Core |
| 腓 | こむら | Calf | Literary |
| 脛 | すね | Shin | Core |
| 向う脛 | むこうずね | Shin | Core |
| 膝 | ひざ | Knee | Core |
| 膝頭 | ひざがしら | Kneecap | Core |
| 膝小僧 | ひざこぞう | Kneecap | Core |
| 引屈・膕 | ひかがみ | Area behind knee | Technical |
| 膝窩 | シッカ | Popliteal fossa | Technical |
| 膕 | よぼろ よほろ | Area behind knee | Archaic |
| 足首 | あしくび | Ankle | Core |
| 踝 | くるぶし くろぶし つぶぶし つぶなぎ | Ankle | Technical/Core Dialectal Archaic Archaic |
| 内踝 | うちくるぶし | Inner side of ankle | Technical |
| 外踝 | そとくるぶし | Outer side of ankle | Technical |
| 踵 | かかと きびす くびす あくと | Heel | Core Core Dialectal Dialectal |
| 爪 | つめ | Nail | Core |
| 爪先 | つまさき | Tips of the toes | Core |
| 趺・跗 | あなひら | Top of the foot | Literary |
| 足の平 | あしのひら | Top of the foot | Core |
| 足の甲 | あしのコウ | Top of the foot | Core |
| 足（の）指・趾 | あし（の）ゆび | Toe | Core |
| 足（の）裏・蹠 | あし（の）うら | Sole of the foot | Core |
| 足底 | ソクテイ | Sole of the foot | Technical |
| 土踏まず | つちふまず | Arch of the foot | Technical/Core |
| 裸足・跣 | はだし | Barefoot | Core |
Word Notes:
①爪 is the word for analogous structures to “nails” in other creatures: claws, talons, etc.
②The names for the toes are largely analogous to those for the fingers of the hand, being prefaced with 足の for core vocabulary and 指 being replaced with 趾 in Sino-Japanese terminology.
77. 足音を忍ばせて寝室に入った。
I creeped into (lit. concealed my footsteps) the/my/our bedroom.
78. もう一方の脚も切断しなければならないのかもしれません。
(We) might have to amputate (their) other leg.
79. 朝起きて立つと、土踏まずや踵が痛い。
When I wake up, the area around the arch and heel of feet hurt.
80. 川沿いを裸足で歩いていた。
I was walking barefoot along the river.
81. 足の甲にスマホを落としてしまった。
I dropped my smartphone on the top of my foot.
Internal Organs
臓器・器官
Although several external organs have been mentioned thus far, there is still a lot to learn about what resides inside the body.
■”Organ”
器官 is a collective entity of the body that forms a particular function. 臓器 is synonymous, but it is often most employed when referring to organs of the torso. These organs may also be called 内臓. Oddly enough, the heart is usually not deemed by speakers to fit under the definition of 内臓. Traditionally, organs were classified by 五臓六腑: 五臓 refers to the liver, heart, spleen, heart, and kidneys, and 六腑 refers to the gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, bladder, and the san jiao (三焦), which is a functional metabolic organ in Chinese medicine.
■Membranes
Organs are also covered by all sorts of membranes (膜). Many such membranes have been discussed so far, both some very important words include:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 鼓膜 | コマク | Eardrum | Technical/Core |
| 網膜 | モウマク | Retina | Technical/Core |
| 脳膜 | ノウマク | Meninges | Technical |
| 腹膜 | フクマク | Peritoneum | Technical |
| 隔膜 | カクマク | Diaphragm | Technical |
| 核膜 | カクマク | Nuclear membrane | Technical |
| 皮膜 | ヒマク | Film | Technical |
| 結膜 | ケツマク | Conjunctiva | Technical |
| 粘膜 | ネンマク | Mucous membrane | Technical |
| 肋膜 | ロクマク | Pleura | Technical |
82. 鼓膜が破れたら障害が残りますか?
Are you left with any impairment if your eardrum bursts?
The Digestive System
消化器系
The most important organ of the digestive system is the digestive tract 消化管. The digestive tract is then controlled by various 消化腺 (digestive glands) and auxiliary organs (付属器) such as the teeth (歯) and the liver (肝臓). Other important words include:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 唾液腺 | ダエキセン | Saliva gland | Technical |
| 耳下腺 | ジカセン | Parotid gland | Technical |
| 舌下腺 | ゼッカセン | Sublingual gland | Technical |
| 顎下腺 | ガッカセン | Submandibular gland | Technical |
| 大唾液腺 | ダイダエキセン | Major salivary glands | Technical |
| 小唾液腺 | ショウダエキセン | Minor salivary glands | Technical |
| （口）唇腺 | （コウ）シンセン | Labial glands | Technical |
| 臼歯腺 | キュウシセン | Molar glands | Technical |
| 口蓋腺 | コウガイセン | Palatine gland | Technical |
| 頬腺 | キョウセン | Buccal gland | Technical |
| 胃 | イ | Stomach | Technical/Core |
| 胃袋 | イぶくろ | Stomach | Core |
| 胃液 | イエキ | Gastric juice | Technical |
| 胃壁 | イヘキ | Gastric wall | Technical |
| 胃体 | イタイ | Gastric corpus | Technical |
| 大彎 | ダイワン | Greater curvature | Technical |
| 小彎 | ショウワン | Lesser curvature | Technical |
| 噴門 | フンモン | Cardiac orifice | Technical |
| 胃底 | イテイ | Stomach fundus | Technical |
| 幽門 | ユウモン | Pylorus | Technical |
| 食道 | ショクドウ | Esophagus | Technical/Core |
| 腸 | チョウ はらわた | Intestines Guts | Core Core |
| 臓腑 | ゾウフ | Entrails | Technical |
| 小腸 | ショウチョウ | Small intestine | Technical/Core |
| 大腸 | ダイチョウ | Large intestine | Technical/Core |
| 憩室 | ケイシツ | Diverticulum/a | Technical |
| 十二指腸 | ジュウニシチョウ | Duodenum | Technical |
| 空腸 | クウチョウ | Jejunum | Technical |
| 回腸 | カイチョウ | Ileum | Technical |
| 盲腸 | モウチョウ | Cecum | Technical |
| 虫垂 | チュウスイ | Appendix | Technical/Core |
| 結腸 | ケッチョウ | Colon | Technical/Core |
| 直腸 | チョクチョウ | Rectum | Technical/Core |
| 膵臓 | スイゾウ | Pancreas | Technical/Core |
| 肝 | きも | Liver/innards | Core |
| 肝臓 | カンゾウ | Liver | Technical/Core |
| 肝細胞 | カンサイボウ | Hepatocyte | Technical |
| 肝動脈 | カンドウミャク | Hepatic artery | Technical |
| 胆嚢 | タンノウ | Gall bladder | Technical/Core |
| 胆汁 | タンジュウ | Bile | Technical |
| 胆管 | タンカン | Bile duct | Technical |
| 胆道 | タンドウ | Biliary tract | Technical |
83. 飲んだ後の胃袋に優しい料理でした。
It was a meal gentle to (my) stomach after having had (alcohol).
84. 胆嚢を取ることによる後遺症は若い男性を除けばほとんどない。
There are hardly any affect-effects from getting your gall bladder removed, excluding young men.
85. 腸は消化器官としての役割だけでなく、全身の健康のためにも重要な臓器です。
The intestines are an important set of organs not just for their role as digestive organs but also for the overall health of the body.
86. 強めのウォッカが腸（はらわた）に沁みてくる。
The fairly strong vodka is permeating (my) guts.
87. 癌がさらに大きくなると、食道を塞いで水も通らなくなり、唾液も飲み込めずに戻すようになります。
As the cancer grows further, it blocks the esophagus, which results in water being unable to flow down and even resulting in saliva to not be swallowed and come back up.
88. 虫垂が破裂すると、膿がお腹に漏れ出して、全身に黴菌が回り、数時間で死亡してしまう可能性が高くなる。
When the appendix ruptures, puss leaks into the abdomen and bacteria spreads throughout the whole body, which increases the risk of dying within a few hours.
The Circulatory System
循環器系
The circulatory system (循環器系・脈管系), can be split into two parts: the vascular system (血管系) and the lymphatic system (リンパ系). Note that the ‘cardiovascular system’ (心血管系) is responsible for carrying oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body in a process called 体循環. The opposite of this is pulmonary circulation (肺循環), which carries oxygen-depleted blood away from the heart to the lungs so that it may return oxygen-rich (see below for the respiratory system). Other important words include:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 血 | ち | Blood | Core |
| 血液 | ケツエキ | Blood | Technical/Core |
| 血球 | ケッキュウ | Blood cell | Technical |
| 赤血球 | セッケッキュウ | Red blood cell | Technical |
| 白血球 | ハッケッキュウ | White blood cell | Technical |
| 骨髄 | コツズイ | Bone marrow | Technical/Core |
| 血管 | ケッカン | Blood vessel | Technical/Core |
| 血脈 | ケツミャク | Blood vessel | Technical/Literary |
| 毛細血管 | モウサイケッカン | Capillaries | Technical |
| 出血 | シュッケツ | Hemorrhage | Technical/Core |
| 貧血（症） | ヒンケツ（ショウ） | Anemia | Technical/Core |
| 血栓 | ケッセン | Blood clot | Technical/Core |
| 脈 | ミャク | Pulse/vein | Core |
| 脈拍 脈搏 | ミャクハク | Pulse | Technical/Core |
| 心臓 | シンゾウ | Heart | Technical/Core |
| 動脈 | ドウミャク | Artery | Technical/Core |
| 静脈 | ジョウミャク | Vein | Technical/Core |
| 動脈血 | ドウミャクケツ | Arterial blood | Technical |
| 静脈血 | ジョウミャクケツ | Venous blood | Technical |
| 脾臓 | ヒゾウ | Spleen | Technical/Core |
| リンパ管 | りんぱカン | Lymph duct | Technical |
| リンパ腺 | りんぱセン | Lymph gland | Technical/Core |
| リンパ節 | りんぱセツ | Lymph node | Technical/Core |
| リンパ球 | りんぱキュウ | Lymphocyte | Technical |
| 胸腺 | キョウセン | Thymus | Technical |
89. 紛争以前でさえ血管外科医や整形外科医は不足していました。
Even before the conflict, there were shortages in vein surgeons, plastic surgeons, and the like.
90. 耳を塞いでも目を瞑っても心臓は脈を打ち続けている。
No matter if you close your ears or close your eyes, your heart keeps beating.
91. リンパ腺が腫れている場合は、気を付けた方がいいのが、痛みがどこにもない時だ。
Whenever your lymph nodes are swollen, what you ought to be careful of is when there is no pain to be had anywhere.
92. 脾臓がないと感染症にかかりやすい。
When you have no spleen, it is easier for you to catch an infectious disease.
93. 血液を足の先から心臓へ戻すことが静脈の役割です。
It is the role of your veins to return blood from the tips of your feet to your heart.
94. このような血栓が飛ぶと脳の血管を詰まらせて脳梗塞を引き起こすことがあります。
When this sort of blood clot breaks off, it can clog your brain’s blood vessels and cause a stroke.
95. 血球は、骨の中の骨髄で造られます。
Blood cells are made in the marrow inside your bones.
Word Notes:
①Important heart-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 心臓壁 | シンゾウヘキ | Cardiac wall | Technical |
| 左心房 | サシンボウ | Left atrium | Technical |
| 右心房 | ウシンボウ | Right atrium | Technical |
| 左心室 | サシンシツ | Left ventricle | Technical |
| 右心室 | ウシンシツ | Right ventricle | Technical |
| 大動脈 | ダイドウミャク | Aorta | Technical |
| 上大動脈 | ジョウダイドウミャク | Superior aorta | Technical |
| 下大静脈 | カダイドウミャク | Descending aorta | Technical |
| 大動脈弁 | ダイドウミャクベン | Aortic valve | Technical |
| 肺動脈 | ハイドウミャク | Pulmonary artery | Technical |
| 肺動脈弁 | ハイドウミャクベン | Pulmonary valve | Technical |
| 僧帽弁 | ゾウボウベン | Mitral valve | Technical |
| 三尖弁 | サンセンベン | Tricupsid valve | Technical |
| 心膜 | シンマク | Pericardium | Technical |
| 心不全 | シンフゼン | Heart failure | Technical |
| 心筋梗塞 | シンキンコウソク | Myocardial infarction | Technical |
| 心臓病 | シンゾウビョウ | Heart disease | Technical/Core |
| 心停止 | シンテイシ | Cardiac arrest | Technical |
| 心臓発作 | シンゾウホッサ | Heart attack | Technical/Core |
| 心臓麻痺 | シンゾウマヒ | Cardioplegia | Technical |
Word Notes:
①The metaphorical “heart” is 心.
Kanji Notes:
①リンパ may be written in Kanji as 淋巴.
96. 心臓麻痺を起こして倒れた人に電気ショックを与えることで、救命できる。
By providing an electric shock to someone who has collapsed from a heart attack, you can save their life.
97. 高齢者の心不全でさらに深刻なのが、再入院の問題です。
What’s even more serious with heart failure among the elderly is the issue of rehospitalization.
The Respiratory System
呼吸器系
Key words regarding the respiratory system including parts of the lungs include the following:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 呼吸 | コキュウ | Respiration | Technical/Core |
| 酸素呼吸 | サンソコキュウ | Aerobic respiration | Technical |
| 無気呼吸 | ムキコキュウ | Anaerobic respiration | Technical |
| 外呼吸 | ガイコキュウ | External respiration | Technical |
| 内呼吸 | ナイコキュウ | Internal respiration | Technical |
| 代謝 | タイシャ | Metabolism | Technical/Core |
| 息 | いき | Breath | Core |
| 呼吸器 | コキュウキ | Respiratory organ(s) | Technical |
| 上気道 | ジョウキドウ | Upper respiratory tract | Technical |
| 下気道 | カキドウ | Lower respiratory tract | Technical |
| 気管 | キカン | Trachea | Technical/Core |
| 気管支 | キカンシ | Bronchus | Technical/Core |
| 肺（臓） | ハイ（ゾウ） | Lung(s) | Technical/Core |
| 左肺 | ひだりハイ10 | Left lung | Technical/Core |
| 右肺 | みぎハイ | Right lung | Technical/Core |
| 肺胞 | ハイホウ | Alveoli | Technical |
| 上葉 | ジョウヨウ | Upper lobe(s) | Technical |
| 中葉 | チュウヨウ | Medial lobe(s) | Technical |
| 下葉 | カヨウ | Lower lobe(s) | Technical |
98. 体温や代謝が低い場合、身体を温めるためには、温かい食事を摂る事が大切です。
Whenever your body temperature and/or metabolism is low, it is important to have a hot meal to warm up your body.
99. 人は呼吸をして全身に酸素を送っていますが、呼吸が浅いと酸素が不足してしまいます。
People have oxygen sent throughout their bodies via respiration, but when one’s respiration is shallow, (the body) does not get enough oxygen.
100. 激しい咳で息が吸えない！
I can’t breath from coughing so hard!
101. 東洋医学における肺は，現代医学でいう肺臓とは異なり、鼻から気道を通り肺臓に至るまでを指します。
The “lungs” in Eastern medicine, unlike the “lungs” in modern medicine, refers to from the nose, traversing down the respiratory tract, to the lungs.
The Urinary System
泌尿器系
Excluding genitalia which has already been covered above, the primary organs of the urinary system are as follows:
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 腎臓 | ジンゾウ | Kidney | Technical/Core |
| 腎 | むらと | Kidney | Archaic |
| 膀胱 | ボウコウ | Bladder | Technical/Core |
| 尿管 | ニョウカン | Ureter | Technical |
| 尿道 | ニョウドウ | Urethra | Technical |
| 尿 | ニョウ いばり ゆばり | Urine | Technical/Core Archaic/Dialectal Archaic/Dialectal |
| 尿路結石 | ニョウロケッセキ | Kidney stone | Technical |
| 小便 | ショウベン ションベン | Pee | Core Core/Slang |
102. 膀胱に尿が溜まってくると、膀胱から脳に「トイレへ行きなさい」という信号が送られる。
When urine accumulates in the bladder, signals are sent from the bladder to the brain to “go to the restroom.”
The Reproductive System
生殖器系
The reproductive organs of the human body, along with important terminology related to the reproductive system, are shown below.
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 精巣 | セイソウ | Testicle(s) | Technical |
| 睾丸 | コウガン | Testicle(s) | Technical/Core |
| 陰嚢 | インノウ | Scrotum | Technical |
| 精巣上体 | セイソウジョウタイ | Epididymis | Technical |
| 副睾丸 | フクコウガン | Epididymis | Technical |
| 射精管 | シャセイカン | Ejaculatory duct | Technical |
| 尿道球腺 | ニョウドウキュウセン | Bulbourethral gland | Technical |
| カウパー腺 | かうぱーセン | Cowper’s gland | Technical |
| 精嚢 | セイノウ | Seminal vesicle | Technical |
| 前立腺 | ゼンリツセン | Prostate gland | Technical/Core |
| 卵巣 | ランソウ | Ovari(es) | Technical/Core |
| （輸）卵管 | （ユ）ランカン | Fallopian tube(s) | Technical/Core |
| 子宮 | シキュウ | Uterus | Technical/Core |
| 胎盤 | タイバン | Placenta | Technical/Core |
| 卵（子） | ラン（シ） | Egg(s) | Technical/Core |
| 受精卵 | ジュセイラン | Zygote(s) | Technical |
| 胎児 | タイジ | Fetus | Technical/Core |
| 流産 | リュウザン | Miscarriage | Technical/Core |
| 出産 | シュッサン | Giving birth | Technical/Core |
| 胎生 | タイセイ | Placental birth | Technical/Core |
| 後産 | あとザン ◎ のちざん コウザン | Afterbirth | Technical/Core |
| 羊膜 | ヨウマク | Amnion | Technical |
| 羊水 | ヨウスイ | Amniotic fluid | Technical |
| 臍帯 | セイタイ | Umbilical cord | Technical |
| 胞衣 | ホウイ ホウエ えな | Placenta (afterbirth) | Technical |
103. 男性の睾丸を蹴られた痛みと、女性の出産の痛みとでは、どちらが痛いのでしょうか？
Which pain is worse: the pain a man feels when kicked in the testicles or the pain a woman feels during childbirth?
104. 前立腺が大きくなると排尿が困難になることがあります。
When the prostate enlarges, there are cases of urination becoming difficult.
105. 子宮がないために通常の月経は起こらず、思春期になって初潮がこないことで初めて気付かれることが多い。
Regular periods do not occur from having no uterus, and there are many cases in which (the lack of one) is noticed for the first time upon entering puberty and not experiencing one’s first period.
106. 受精卵の染色異常を治療する方法はありません。
There is no way to cure chromosomal abnormalities in a zygote.
The Endocrine System
内分泌器系
The role of the endocrine system (内分泌(器)系・液体調整系) is to secrete hormones (ホルモン) through endocrine glands (内分泌腺). The primary parts of the endocrine system are as follows:
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Importance |
| 松果体 | ショウカタイ | Pineal body | Technical |
| （脳）下垂体 | （ノウ）カスイタイ | Pituitary gland | Technical |
| 甲状腺 | コウジョウセン | Thyroid gland | Technical/Core |
| 副腎 | フクジン | Adrenal gland | Technical |
| 腎上体 | ジンジョウタイ | Adrenal gland | Technical |
| 膵臓 | スイゾウ | Pancreas | Technical/Core |
| 卵巣 | ランソウ | Ovari(es) | Technical/Core |
| 精巣 | セイソウ | Testicle(s) | Technical |
107. 卵巣がなくなると女性ホルモンが出なくなります。
When you have no ovaries, female hormones do not get produced.
The Sensory System
感覚器系
There are six basic senses (感覚) represented by a signature organ. These senses are sight (視覚), hearing (聴覚), smell (嗅覚), taste (味覚), feeling (触覚), and balance (平衡覚). All of these words may be followed by the suffix ～器 to represent the organ(s) of said systems.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Importance |
| 視覚器 | シカクキ | Optic organ | Technical |
| 聴覚器 | チョウカクキ | Auditory | Technical |
| 嗅覚器 | キュウカクキ | Olfactory organ | Technical |
| 味覚器 | ミカクキ | Taste organ | Technical |
| 触覚器 | ショッカクキ | Tactoreceptor | Technical |
| 平衡覚器 | ヘオコウカクキ | Equilibrium organ | Technical |
■The Skin
Important skin-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Importance |
| 肌 | はだ ◎ はだえ | Skin | Core Archaic |
| 皮膚 | ヒフ | Skin | Technical/Core |
| 表皮 | ヒョウヒ | Epidermis | Technical/Core |
| 真皮 | シンピ | Derma | Technical |
| 皮下組織 | ヒカソシキ | Hypodermis | Technical |
| 有棘細胞 | ユウキョクサイボウ | Squamous cell | Technical |
| 顆粒細胞 | カリュウサイボウ | Granule cell | Technical |
| 角質細胞 | カクシツサイボウ | Keratinocyte | Technical |
| 有棘層 | ユウキョクソウ | Stratum spinosum | Technical |
| 顆粒層 | カリュウソウ | Stratum granulosum | Technical |
| 角(質)層 | カク（シツ）ソウ | Stratum corneum | Technical |
| 上皮 | ジョウヒ | Epithelium | Technical |
| メラニン | めらにん | Melanin | Technical/Core |
| 乳頭層 | ニュウトウソウ | Papillary layer | Technical |
| 網状層 | モウジョウソウ | Reticular layer | Technical |
| 汗腺 | カンセン | Sweat gland | Technical |
| 皮下脂肪 | ヒカシボウ | Subcutaneous fat | Technical |
| 肌色 | はだいろ | Skin color11 | Core |
| 面皰 | にきび | Pimple | Core |
| 痘痕 | あばた | Pockmark | Technical |
| 吹き出物 | ふきでもの | Skin eruption | Technical/Core |
| 発疹 | ホッシン | Rash | Core |
| (青)痣 | （あお）あざ | Bruise | Core |
| 擦過傷 | サッカショウ | Abrasion | Technical/Core |
| 火傷 | やけど | Burn | Core |
| 蕁麻疹 | ジンマシン | Hives | Core |
| 皺 | しわ | Wrinkle(s) | Core |
108. むだ毛はこめかみを抑えて肌を伸ばすと剃りやすい。
Unwanted hairs are easier to shave by holding down your temples and stretching the skin.
109. 急に痣ができて、時間が経っても消えない場合には、皮膚科に相談するのが良いでしょう。
In the event you suddenly bruise and it doesn’t go away after a while, it’s best that you consult a dermatology practice.
110. 顔を洗っていないから、ニキビができるというわけではありません。
Acne doesn’t occur because you’re not washing your face.
111. 紫外線予防をしないと、将来、顔が皺くちゃになっちゃうよ！
If you don’t protect yourself from UV rays, your face will get wrinkly in the future!
112. どのくらいの量が飲み過ぎかは個人差がありますが、少なくとも蕁麻疹が出たらしばらくは飲酒は控えましょう。
What amount constitutes drinking too much will differ from person to person, but at the very least, if you start to hive up, refrain from drinking for some time.
The Nervous System
神経系
Important nervous system-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Importance |
| 神経 | シンケイ | Nerve | Technical/Core |
| 神経細胞 | シンケイサイボウ | Nerve cell | Technical |
| ニューロン | にゅーろん | Neuron | Technical |
| シナプス | しなぷす | Synapse | Technical |
| 神経伝達物質 | シンケイデンタツブッシツ | Neurotransmitter | Technical |
| ニューロン連鎖 | にゅーろんレンサ | Neuron chain | Technical |
| 伝導路 | デンドウロ | Conduction path | Technical |
| 求心性神経 | キュウシンセイシンケイ | Afferent nerve | Technical |
| 遠心性神経 | エンシンセイシンケイ | Efferent nerve | Technical |
| 神経線維束 | シンケイセンイソク | Axon | Technical |
| 神経細胞体 | シンケイサイボウタイ | Nerve cell body | Technical |
| 神経節 | シンケイセツ | Ganglion | Technical |
| 末梢神経系 | マッショウシンケイケイ | Peripheral nervous system | Technical |
| 中枢神経系 | チュウスウシンケイエイ | Central nervous system | Technical |
| 終脳 | シュウノウ | Telencephalon | Technical |
| 大脳皮質 | ダイノウヒシツ | Cerebral cortex | Technical |
| 白質 | ハクシツ | White matter | Technical |
| 大脳基底核 | ダイノウキテイカク | Basal ganglia | Technical |
| 灰白質 | カイハクシツ | Grey matter | Technical |
| 神経線維 | シンケイセンイ | Nerve fiber | Technical |
| 自律神経 | ジリツシンケイ | Autonomic nerve | Technical |
| 大脳 | ダイノウ | Cerebrum | Technical |
| 大脳半球 | ダイノウハンキュウ | Cerebral hemisphere | Technical |
| 中脳 | チュウノウ | Midbrain | Technical |
| 間脳 | カンノウ | Interbrain | Technical |
| 神経組織 | シンケイソシキ | Nerve tissue | Technical |
| 神経膠細胞 | シンケイコウサイボウ | Neuroglial cell | Technical |
| グリア細胞 | サイボウ | Glial cell | Technical |
| 脊髄 | セキズイ | Spinal cord | Technical/Core |
| 脊柱管 | セキチュウカン | Spinal canal | Technical/Core |
| 椎骨 | ツイコツ | Vertebrae | Technical/Core |
| 神経束 | シンケイソク | Nerve bundle | Technical |
| 脊髄神経 | セキズイシンケイ | Spinal nerve | Technical |
| アストロサイト | あすとろさいと | Astrocyte | Technical |
| アストログリア | あすとろぐりあ | Astroglia | Technical |
■Cranial Nerves 脳神経
| 第一脳神経 | 嗅神経 | Olfactory nerve |
| 第二脳神経 | 視神経 | Optic nerve |
| 第三脳神経 | 動眼神経 | Oculomotor nerve |
| 第四脳神経 | 滑車神経 | Trochlear nerve |
| 第五脳神経 | 三叉神経 | Trigeminal nerve |
| 第六脳神経 | 外転神経 | Abducens nerve |
| 第七脳神経 | 顔面神経 | Facial nerve |
| 第八脳神経 | 内耳神経 聴神経 前庭蝸牛神経 | Vestibulocochlear nerve Auditory nerve |
| 第九脳神経 | 舌咽神経 | Glossopharyngeal nerve |
| 第十脳神経 | 迷走神経 | Vagus nerve |
| 第十一脳神経 | 副神経 | Accessory nerve |
| 第十二脳神経 | 舌下神経 | Hypoglossal nerve |
113. 笑いは迷走神経を刺激することによって、不安を軽減するのに役立ちます。
Laughter aids in reducing anxiety by stimulating the Vagus nerve.
Pain 痛み
The word 痛み refers to both physical and psychological pain. In the latter sense, it is interchangeable with 苦痛 and 苦しみ. As for specific physical pains, the “part of the body + suffix ～痛” is used with Sino-Japanese words, whereas with native words, “part of the body + の痛み” is used.
The medical terminology for physical pain is 疼痛. The Kanji 疼 means “to ache” and can also be found in the verb 疼く (to ache). Pain comes from stimuli (刺激) to the various peripheral nerves (末梢神経) of the body. Pain is often alleviated through pain killers (鎮痛薬・鎮痛剤).
Many words can be used to describe the degree of pain (痛みの程度). When filling out a medical form, you often choose from: 激痛 (sharp pain), 鈍痛 (dull pain), 無痛 (no pain). However, describing pain in your own words is just as important. Phrases to consider include the following:
| 突き刺されるような痛み | A piercing |
| 締め付けられる痛み | A constricting pain |
| 焼けつくような痛み | A burning pain |
| 重苦しい痛み | A heavy pain |
| 割れるような痛み | A splitting pain |
| 気分が悪くなるような痛み | An upsetting pain |
| 疼くような痛み | An aching pain |
| ズキンズキンと脈打つ痛み | A pulsing pain |
■Pain Onomatopoeia 痛みの擬音語
Japanese is full of onomatopoeia related to pain.
| ズキズキ | A strong pulsing pain associated with headaches, wounds, toothaches, etc. Emphatic form: ズキンズキン |
| チクチク | A prickling/stinging pain. |
| ギシギシ | Muscle/joint pain, often associated with growing pains and knee pain. |
| ジンジン | A strong, numbing pain, often caused by bumping into something hard or the feeling of being shocked. |
| ガンガン | The sense of a large sound reverberating through one’s head, often associated with migraines. |
| ヒリヒリ | ①Continued feeling of the nerves and/or skin burning (literally). Gives a sense of pressing anxiety (figuratively). ②Feeling of throat feeling so dry it hurts. ③Prolonged, sharp spicy feeling. Body parts attributed to ひりひり include: the skin, (parts of the hand) hands, face, etc. Injuries associated with it include sunburn (日焼け), burns (火傷), and bruises (擦り傷). |
| ひりっ | Feeling a stimulus/pain/spice for a brief moment. |
| ひりり | ①Feeling a sharp pain/stimulus only momentarily. ②Repeated shaking of the body in short intervals. |
| びりびり | Continuous, strong, throbbing stimulation/pain. Body parts attributed to びりびり include: the feet, skin, elbow, hands, tongue, arms, shoulders, etc. Feelings such as the feet becoming numb, feeling of hitting one’s elbow, and overall feeling of electric shock are common injuries associated with it. |
| びりっ | The sense/sound of electricity running through the air/body. |
| びりり | Temporary feeling of being shocked. |
| ぴりぴり | ①Strong stimulation to the heart/nerves. ②Continuously feeling sharp stimulation/pain. Body parts attributed to ぴりぴり include: the tongue, skin, hands, mouth, feet, etc. Injuries/stimuli most associated are “the pain from eating spicy food,” “a paralyzing pain,” “feeling of electric shock,” etc. |
| ぴりっ | ①Feeling a sharp stimulation only briefly, especially relating to spice. ②May also express the body tightening up. |
| ぴりり | Temporary sharp stimulus of shock/from spice. |
114. 舌がひりひりするほど辛すぎる。
It’s too spicy to the point your tongue stings (from it).
115. 手がびりびり（と）痺れた。
My hands went painfully numb as if they got shocked.
116. お風呂やトイレにいくと身体がピリッと痺れて眩暈がします。
When I go take a bath or to the restroom, my body numbs up with a tingle, then I get dizzy.
117. ズキンズキンと痛んでいる場所にアイスパックを当てることで炎症状態を鎮め、または痛みを緩和させることができます。
By applying an ice pack to where the pain is pounding, you can relieve inflammation as well as alleviate the pain.
118. 脇腹がじんじん（と）痛いです。
There’s a throbbing pain on the side(s) of my torso.
119. 二日酔いで頭がガンガン（と）痛いです。
My head is pounding from my hangover.
120. お腹がしくしく（と）痛いです。
My stomach is cramping.
■Adjectives to Describe Pain
| 鈍い | Dull | 緩やか（な） | Mild |
| 激しい | Severe | 鋭い | Sharp |
| 絶え間ない | Constant | 慢性的（な） | Chronic |
| 断続的（な） | Intermittent | 局所的（な） | Localized |
| 広範囲の | Widespread | 奥深い | Deep |
■Specific Pains 特定の痛み
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 頭痛 | ズツウ | Headache | Core |
| 偏頭痛 片頭痛 | ヘンズツウ ヘントウツウ | Migraine | Technical/Core |
| 腹痛 | フクツウ | Abdominal pain | Technical |
| 胸痛 | キョウツウ | Chest pain | Technical |
| 腰痛 | ヨウツウ | Lumbago | Technical |
| 背痛 | ハイツウ | Backache | Technical |
| 神経痛 | シンケイツウ | Neuralgia | Technical |
| 筋肉痛 | キンニクツウ | Myalgia | Technical/Core |
| 陣痛 産痛 | ジンツウ サンツウ | Labor pain | Technical/Core Technical |
| 生理痛 月経痛 | セイリツウ ゲッケイツウ | Menstrual pain | Technical/Core |
| 胃痛 | イツウ | Gastralgia | Technical/Core |
| 歯痛 | シツウ | Toothache | Technical |
| 痛風 | ツウフウ | Gout | Core |
| 群発性頭痛 | グンパツセイズツウ | Cluster headache | Technical |
| 耳痛 | ジツウ | Aural pain | Technical |
| 緊張性頭痛 | キンチョウセイズツウ | Tension headache | Technical |
| 関節痛 | カンセツツウ | Arthralgia | Technical/Core |
| 排卵痛 | ハイランツウ | Ovulation pain | Technical |
| 痛手 | いたで | Wound | Core |
| 膵臓痛 | スイゾウツウ | Pancreatic pain | Technical |
| 関連痛 | カンレンツウ | Referred pain | Technical |
| 癌性疼痛 | ガンセイトウツウ | Cancer pain | Technical |
| 圧痛 | アッツウ | Tenderness | Technical |
| 成長痛 | セイチョウツウ | Growing pains | Technical/Core |
Some of these words are very common in the spoken language. However, some of them, as their English translations suggest, are medical jargon. For instance, ear pain is medically described as 耳の痛み. However, your diagnosis paper will likely have 耳痛 listed. Medical forms are the most practical use of these technical words.
Of these words, two words not created with the suffix ～痛 include: 痛風 (gout) and 痛手 (serious wound). The latter is a native word which is synonymous with 深手. “Wounds” are also called 傷, and the word for “injury” itself is 怪我. Wounds are also described in terms of being 軽傷 (light injury) or 重傷 (serious injury).
121. 痛風で足が痛むのはよく聞きますが、膝が痛むこともあるのですか？
You often hear how your feet hurt from gout, but are there also cases of your knees hurting (from it)?
122. 片頭痛は、脈を打つようにズキンズキンと痛むのが特徴の重度の消耗性頭痛です。
Migraines are severe, debilitating headaches characterized by pulsing, throbbing pain.
Kinds of Conditions: 炎, 症, 病
The nervous system helps us be aware of various health problems. Many words related to the body are combined with the following suffixes: ～炎 (inflammatory disease = 炎症), ～症 (illness), and ～病 (disease). Though there are countless words made with these endings, we will limit our scope to those commonly used/known.
■The Suffix ～炎
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 肺炎 | ハイエン | Pneumonia | Technical/Core |
| 口内炎 | コウナイエン | Mouth ulcer | Technical/Core |
| 皮膚炎 | ヒフエン | Dermatitis | Technical/Core |
| 肝炎 | カンエン | Hepatitis | Technical/Core |
| 気管支炎 | キカンシエン | Bronchitis | Technical/Core |
| 虫垂炎 | チュウスイエン | Appendicitis | Technical/Core |
| 腱鞘炎 | ケンショウエン | Tendonitis | Technical/Core |
| 膀胱炎 | ボウコウエン | Cystitis | Technical/Core |
| 関節炎 | カンセツエン | Arthritis | Technical/Core |
| 脳炎 | ノウエン | Encephalitis | Technical |
| 髄膜炎 | ズイマクエン | Meningitis | Technical |
| 胃炎 | イエン | Gastritis | Technical/Core |
| 扁桃炎 | ヘントウエン | Tonsillitis | Technical |
| 鼻炎 | ビエン | Rhinitis | Technical/Core |
| 副鼻腔炎 | フクビクウエン フクビコウエン | Sinusitis | Technical |
| 大腸炎 | ダイチョウエン | Colitis | Technical/Core |
| 胆嚢炎 | タンノウエン | Cholecystitis | Technical |
| 膵(臓)炎 | スイ（ゾウ）エン | Pancreatitis | Technical |
123. 父が金曜日に、肺炎で入院しました。
My father was admitted into the hospital on Friday for pneumonia.
124. 風邪のような症状だけで終わることもありますが、1000人に1人の割合で脳炎を起こします。
Though there are cases which end with cold-like symptoms, it causes meningitis at a rate of 1 out of 1,000 people.
■The Suffix ～症
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 感染症 | カンセンショウ | Infectious disease | Technical/Core |
| 神経症 | シンケイショウ | Neurosis | Technical |
| 性行為感染症 | セイコウイカンセンショウ | STD/STI | Technical/Core |
| 高血圧症 | コウケツアツショウ | Hypertension | Technical/Core |
| 骨粗鬆症 | コツソショウショウ | Osteoporosis | Technical/Core |
| 血栓症 | ケッセンショウ | Thrombosis | Technical/Core |
| 前立腺肥大症 | ゼンリツセンヒダイショウ | Prostrate enlargement | Technical/Core |
| 動脈硬化症 | ドウミャクコウカショウ | Atherosclerosis | Technical |
| 筋緊張症 | キンキンチョウショウ | Myotonia | Technical |
| 鎌状赤血球症 | かまジョウセッケッキュウショウ | Sickle-cell disease | Technical |
| 脳症 | ノウショウ | Encephalopathy | Technical |
| 陰茎折症 | インケイセッショウ | Penile fracture | Technical |
125. 骨粗鬆症で食べてはいけないものはありますか？
Are there things you shouldn’t eat with osteoporosis?
126. 肥満者は、正常体重の方に比べて、３倍ほど多く高血圧症になると言われている。
It is said that obese individuals, compared to people at a normal weight, end up having high blood pressure 3 times more often.
■The Suffix ～病
| Word | Reading | Translation | Importance |
| 心臓病 | シンゾウビョウ | Heart disease | Technical/Core |
| 皮膚病 | ヒフビョウ | Skin disease | Technical/Core |
| 白血病 | ハッケツビョウ | Leukemia | Technical/Core |
| 歯周病 | シシュウビョウ | Gum disease | Technical/Core |
| 糖尿病 | トウニョウビョウ | Diabetes | Technical/Core |
| 眼病 | ガンビョウ | Eye disease | Technical |
| 禿頭病 | トクトウビョウ | Alopecia | Technical |
| 伝染病 | デンセンビョウ | Transmissible disease | Technical/Core |
| 疫病 | エキビョウ | Epidemic | Technical/Core |
127. 歯茎が縮むのには、さまざまな原因がありますが、歯周病によるケースが多いです。
There are several reasons for the gums to shrink, but there are many cases due to gum disease.
128. 病院で「白血病」と診断されていますか？
Have you been diagnosed with “leukemia” by a hospital?
129. 疫病で多くの国民の命が奪われた。
So many citizen lives were lost from the epidemic.
130. 心臓病で右肩が痛くなるのはなぜですか。
Why is it that your right shoulder ends up hurting from heart disease?
The Motor System
運動器系
The motor system is characterized by bones (骨) and joints (関節), which form the skeleton 骨格・骨骼. The skeleton, as in skeletonized remains (白骨化した遺体), is called 骸骨. You may also see the loanword スケルトン, but this may also be used to refer to the skeletons of buildings, which are usually called 骨組み.
骨, when read as ほね, is a native word still used as the primary word for bones. However, its Sino-Japanese reading こつ is found in every anatomic word related to bones, and it can even be seen in isolation as the honorific word for bone(s) – お骨. The body is also full of cartilage (軟骨 = literally ‘soft bone’). In total, the adult human body has about 206 bones. The most essential to know as a Japanese speaker are as follows:
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Importance |
| 前頭骨 | ゼントウコツ | Frontal bone | Technical |
| 蝶型骨 | チョウケイコツ | Sphenoid bone | Technical |
| 頭頂骨 | トウチョウコツ | Parietal bone | Technical |
| 側頭骨 | ソクトウコツ | Temporal bone | Technical |
| 後頭骨 | コウトウコツ | Occipital bone | Technical |
| 頬骨 | キョウコツ ほほぼね つらぼね | Zygomatic bone Cheekbone Cheekbone | Technical Core Core/Dialectal |
| 顴骨 | ケンコツ カンコツ | Zygomatic bone | Technical |
| 涙骨 | ルイコツ | Lacrimal bone | Technical |
| 口蓋骨 | コウガイコツ | Palatine bone | Technical |
| 舌骨 | ゼッコツ | Hyoid bone | Technical |
| 肩胛骨 | ケンコウコツ | Scapula Shoulder blade | Technical/Core |
| 尺骨 | シャッコツ | Ulna | Technical |
| 上腕骨 | ジョウワンコツ | Humerus | Technical/Core |
| 寛骨 | カンコツ | Innominate bone Hipbone | Technical |
| 仙骨 | センコツ | Sacrum | Technical |
| 尾骨 | ビコツ | Coccyx Tailbone | Technical/Core |
| 大腿骨 | ダイタイコツ | Femur Thighbone | Technical |
| 膝蓋骨 膝のお皿 | シツガイコツ ひざのおさら | Patella Kneecap | Technical Core |
| 脛骨 | ケイコツ | Tibia Shinbone | Technical |
| 腓骨 | ヒコツ | Fibula | Technical |
| 距骨 | キョコツ | Talus Anklebone | Technical |
| 踵骨 | ショウコツ | Calcaneus Heel bone | Technical |
| 立方骨 | リッポウコツ | Cuboid bone | Technical |
| 舟状骨 | シュウジョウコツ | Scaphoid bone | Technical |
| 脊柱 背骨 | セキチュウ せぼね | Spinal column Back bone | Technical/Core Technical/Core |
131. 尾骨を押すと痛いです。
It hurts when I press on my tailbone.
132. 主人がバイク事故を起こし、左膝の皿を割ってしまった。
My husband got into a motorcycle accident and split his left kneecap.
133. 舌骨は下顎と咽頭の間に存在するU字形をした骨である。
The hyoid bone is a u-shaped bone that exists in between the lower jaw and the pharynx.
134. 背骨を骨折したら元に戻れるのでしょうか。
If you fracture your back bone, can it return back to normal?
■Important Joints
Important nervous system-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Importance |
| 関節 | カンセツ | Joint | Technical/Core |
| 節 | ふし | Joint | Core |
| 拳 | こぶし | Fist | Core |
| 拳骨 | ゲンコツ | Knuckles | Core |
| 顎関節 | ガクカンセツ | Jaw joint | Technical |
| 肩関節 | かたカンセツ | Shoulder joint | Technical/Core |
| 股関節 | コカンセツ | Hip joint | Technical/Core |
| 手関節 | シュカンセツ | Wrist joint | Technical/Core |
| 指節間関節 | シセツカンカンセツ | Interphalangeal joint | Technical |
| 肘関節 | ひじカンセツ | Elbow joint | Technical/Core |
| 足関節 | あしカンセツ ソクカンセツ | Ankle joint | Technical/Core |
| 膝関節 | ひざカンセツ シツカンセツ | Knee joint | Technical/Core |
| 橈骨手根関節 | トウコツシュコンカンセツ | Radiocarpal joint | Technical |
| 椎間関節 | ツイカンカンセツ | Facet joint | Technical |
135. 教師は生徒の行為をとても許せず、拳を振り上げていた。
The teacher could not possibly forgive his student’s conduct, waving his fists.
136. よく捻挫をするのですが、足関節が硬いからですか。
I often get sprains, but is it because my ankle joints are stiff?
■Important Muscles/Tendons/Ligaments
Important muscle-related terminology includes:
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Importance |
| 筋肉 | キンニク | Muscle | Core |
| 筋(肉)繊維 | キン（ニク）センイ | Muscle sinew | Technical |
| 筋 | すじ | Muscle sinew | Core |
| 筋骨12 | キンコツ | Muscles and bones | Core |
| 腱 | ケン | Tendon | Technical/Core |
| 靭帯 | ジンタイ | Ligament | Technical/Core |
| 表情筋 | ヒョウジョウキン | Mimetic muscle | Technical |
| 僧帽筋 | ソウボウキン | Trapezius muscle | Technical |
| 三角筋 | サンカクキン | Deltoid muscle | Technical |
| 大胸筋 | ダイキョウキン | Major pectoral muscle | Technical |
| 心筋 | シンキン | Cardiac muscle | Technical |
| 腹筋 | フッキン | Abdominal muscles | Core |
| 腹直筋 | フクチョクキン | Abdominal rectus muscle | Technical |
| 上腕二頭筋 | ジョウワンニトウキン | Upper arm biceps | Technical |
| 橈側手根屈筋 | トウソクシュコンクッキン | Flexor carpi radialis muscle | Technical |
| 大腿四頭筋 | ダイタイシトウキン | Quadriceps | Technical |
| 膝蓋靭帯 | シツガイジンタイ | Patellar ligament | Technical |
| 前脛骨筋 | ゼンケイコツキン | Tibialis anterior muscle | Technical |
| ヒラメ筋 | ひらめキン | Soleus muscle | Technical |
| 後頭筋 | コウトウキン | Occipitalis muscle | Technical |
| 広背筋 | コウハイキン | Latissimus dorsi | Technical |
| 大殿筋 | ダイデンキン | Gluteus maximus | Technical |
| 大腿二頭筋 | ダイタイニトウキン | Biceps femoris | Technical |
| 腓腹筋 | ヒフクキン | Gastrocnemius muscle | Technical |
| アキレス腱 | あきれすケン | Achilles’ tendon | Technical/Core |
| 腱鞘 | ケンショウ | Sheath of tendon | Technical |
137. アキレス腱が破裂したり、足首が骨折したり、捻挫したりした場合は、ウォーキングブーツを履いて、怪我をした箇所にかかる歩行圧を下げることができます。
Whenever you’ve torn your Achilles’ tendon, broken your ankle or sprained it, by wearing walking boots, you can lower the pressure from walking that is placed on the injured area.
138. 口の動きで舌と口周りの筋肉を鍛えましょう。
Train the muscles of your tongue and those around your mouth via mouth motions.
Organelles
細胞小器官
The human eukaryotic cell (真核細胞) is composed of various organ-like structures called organelles, which in turn are referred to as 細胞(小)器官 or オルガネラ. These are membrane (膜) covered structures (構造体). Each organelle possesses its own unique function, in a way behaving as its own life form (生命個体).
For instance, the organelle responsible for oxygen absorption (酸素の吸収) and release of carbon dioxide (二酸化炭素の排出) is the mitochondria (ミトコンドリア). Below are the organelles you should be most familiar with, especially if your field is in biology.
| （細胞）核 | Nucleus | Responsible for storage (保存) and transmission (伝達) of genetic information (遺伝情報). |
| 核小体 (核)仁 | Nucleolus | A molecule (分子) dense area in the center of the nucleus where rRNA transcription (転写) and ribosome construction occurs. |
| ゴルジ体 | Golgi body | Also known as ゴルジ装置 (Golgi apparatus), ゴルジ複合体 (Golgi complex), or 網状体 (dictyosome), its functions include the processing (プロセシング) of proteins (蛋白質) composing the ribosome as well as the modification of protein sugar-chains (糖鎖修飾) that are then excreted (分泌) outside of the cell. |
| エンドソーム | Endosome | A kind of vesicle (小胞) that sorts material before reaching the lysosome. |
| リソソーム | Lysosome | Also called リソゾーム, ライソソーム、 ライソゾーム, or 水解小体, it is a kind of vesicle that breaks down biomolecules 生体物質. |
| ミトコンドリア | Mitochondria | Many cells have hundreds whereas some have none. They also possess their own DNA called ミトコンドリアDNA. Its technical Japanese name is 糸粒体. |
| 葉緑体 | Chloroplast | Also known as クロロプラスト, though not a part of animal cells, it is a very important organelle to plants as it is where photosynthesis (光合成) takes place. |
| ペルオキシソーム | Peroxisome | An organelle with metabolic pathway functions such as the beta-oxidation (β酸化) of very-long-chain-fatty acids (超長脂肪酸), the composition (合成) of cholesterol (コレステロール) and bile (胆汁), the metabolism (代謝) of amino acids (アミノ酸), etc. |
| 小胞 | Vesicles | Many kinds of vesicles exist. Common functions include metabolism, material transport (物質輸送), and temporary storage (貯蓄) of cell biproducts (合成産物). |
| 粗面小胞体 | Rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum | Endoplasmic reticulum which ribosomes are attached. Materials secreted from it are transported to the Golgi body. |
| 滑面小胞体 | Smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum | Endoplasmic reticulum void of ribosomes. It synthesizes lipids (脂質), phospholipids (燐脂質), and steroids (ステロイドホルモン). |
| 液胞 | Vacuole | Common functions include: ①Isolating (隔離) materials that may be harmful (有害) to the cell. ②Containing (保管) and exporting (排出) waste products (不要物). ③Maintaining (維持) an acidic (酸性) internal pH. ④Containing small molecules (低分子). ⑤Maintaining internal hydrostatic pressure (内部の静水圧)/turgor within the cell (細胞の膨圧). |
| 微小管 | Microtubule | Involved in the cytoskeleton (細胞骨格) as well as a cell dividing apparatus (分裂装置). |
| 中心体 | Centrosome | Also known as 微小管形成中心, it is the main microtubule organizing center of the animal cell. |
| リボソーム | Ribosome | Organelle responsible for protein synthesis by translating (翻訳) genetic information from mRNA. |
Cancer 癌
At times, cells of the body lose the control mechanisms involved in their replication (増殖). Tumors can be roughly divided into two kinds: benign tumors (良性腫瘍) and malignant tumors (悪性腫瘍), with malignant tumors often becoming 浸潤性腫瘍 (invasive tumors) which then metastasize (転移) throughout the body.
Malignant tumors are colloquially known as cancer (癌). In turn, cancer can be categorized by two broad types:
- 癌腫 (carcinoma) : malignant cells that form from epithelial cells.
- 肉腫 (sarcoma): malignant cells that from from non-epithelial cells.
Any part of the body is susceptible to becoming cancerous. Early-stage cancer is known as 早期癌 and advanced cancer is known as 進行癌, and the worst of which are terminal cancer (末期癌). The emergence of cancer is called 発癌 – carcinogenic = 発癌性, carcinogen = 発癌(性)物質. The opposite of 発癌性 is 抗癌性.
Most cancer names are very straightforward, being a combination of the body part + ～癌. As such, we will only cover a handful of names that impact human lives the most.
| 肺癌 | Lung cancer | 胃癌 | Stomach cancer |
| 乳癌 | Breast cancer | 甲状腺癌 | Thyroid cancer |
| 子宮癌 | Uterine cancer | 前立腺癌 | Prostate cancer |
| 皮膚癌 | Skin cancer | 口腔癌 | Oral cancer |
| 肝細胞癌 | Hepatoma | 膵(臓)癌 | Pancreatic cancer |
| 膀胱癌 | Bladder cancer | 食道癌 | Esophageal cancer |
| 腸癌 | Intestinal cancer | 卵巣癌 | Ovarian cancer |
| 肝臓癌 | Liver cancer | 咽頭癌 | Throat cancer |
| 結腸癌 | Colon cancer | 舌癌 | Tongue cancer |
139. 前立腺癌で死亡する確率が高い。
The probability of dying from prostate cancer is high.
140. 食道癌が再発した場合、その後の生存率が低下するとされています。
It’s described that in the event esophageal cancer recurs that one’s chance of survival thereafter decreases.
■Ulcers 潰瘍
Ulcers are similar to cancer in that they are unnatural cell growths caused either by injury and/or infection. The most common ulcers that people face as oral ulcers (口腔潰瘍) and stomach ulcers (胃潰瘍), but they can appear in various parts of the body.
141. 胃潰瘍で薬で治るの？
Do stomach ulcers heal with medicine?
- はだかみ may also figuratively refer to a “naked sword.” ↩︎
- 裸 itself has several idiomatic usages which include meaning “concealing nothing,” “being penniless,” “being frank, ” etc. ↩︎
- 赤裸々 may also figuratively mean “unvarnished truth.” ↩︎
- When read as ショウジン, 生身 refers to the physical body of Buddha. ↩︎
- The phrase 首になる literally means “to be beheaded,” but it is colloquially used to mean “to be fired (from a job).” In the literal sense, you may see it spelled as 馘になる, with 馘 meaning “decapitation.” ↩︎
- The word ひこ on seldom occasion may also refer to the “uvula,” in which case it may be spelled confusingly as 小舌. ↩︎
- みみせせ is a rare instance in which a native word is present for such an anatomically obscure part of the skull, but neither this word nor its proper scientific wording, 乳様突起骨, are readily understood by speakers. ↩︎
- In Old Japanese, “limb” 肢 was expressed with a native word – え – which is now preserved in the word for branch 枝（えだ）. ↩︎
- In Old Japanese, 腿 (thigh) was はぎ. The parts of both thighs which face each other was called 向ははぎ. Then, はぎ underwent semantic shift to refer to “calf” in the compound 脹脛（ふくらはぎ）, which rendered 向かはぎ synonymous with （向う）脛. ↩︎
- Irregularly, the Sino-Japanese word 肺 is paired with the native prefixes 左（ひだり）～ and 右（みぎ）～ for “left” and “right” respectively as opposed to their Sino-Japanese iterations. However, in the far less frequently seen 左肺臓 and 右肺臓, the respective Sino-Japanese readings サ and ウ are used. ↩︎
- Traditionally, 肌色 refers to the skin tone of the average Japanese person. ↩︎
- When 筋骨 is read as すじぼね, it means “cartilage,” but this native alternative to 軟骨 has fallen out of use. ↩︎