Body part kanji in Japanese aren't just for anatomy — they power a huge number of everyday expressions. 「手が足りない」 doesn't mean "my hand isn't long enough" — it means "we're short-handed." 「腹が立つ」 doesn't mean "my stomach stood up" — it means "I'm angry." Master these kanji and Japanese idioms suddenly become transparent.
This article teaches you 20 torso and limb kanji.
Core Kanji Table
Limbs
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 手 | シュ (shu) | て (te) | hand | 手 (て, hand), 選手 (せんしゅ, player/athlete) | 選手 = athlete |
| 足 | ソク (soku) | あし (ashi) | foot / enough | 足 (あし, foot), 不足 (ふそく, shortage) | 足りる = to be enough |
| 指 | シ (shi) | ゆび (yubi) | finger | 指 (ゆび, finger), 指示 (しじ, instruction) | 指示 = instruction |
| 肩 | ケン (ken) | かた (kata) | shoulder | 肩 (かた, shoulder), 肩書き (かたがき, title) | 肩書き = job title |
| 腕 | ワン (wan) | うで (ude) | arm | 腕 (うで, arm), 腕前 (うでまえ, skill) | 腕前 = skill level |
| 膝 | シツ (shitsu) | ひざ (hiza) | knee | 膝 (ひざ, knee), 膝枕 (ひざまくら, lap pillow) | 膝枕 = resting head on someone's lap |
| 爪 | ソウ (sō) | つめ (tsume) | nail/claw | 爪 (つめ, fingernail), 爪切り (つめきり, nail clipper) | 爪切り = nail clipper |
Torso
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 体 | タイ (tai) | からだ (karada) | body | 体 (からだ, body), 体力 (たいりょく, stamina) | 体力 = physical strength |
| 胸 | キョウ (kyō) | むね (mune) | chest | 胸 (むね, chest), 胸焼け (むねやけ, heartburn) | 胸焼け = heartburn |
| 腰 | ヨウ (yō) | こし (koshi) | waist/hip | 腰 (こし, waist), 腰痛 (ようつう, back pain) | 弱腰 = weak-kneed |
| 背 | ハイ (hai) | せ (se)・せい (sei) | back/height | 背中 (せなか, back), 背景 (はいけい, background) | 背が高い = tall |
| 腹 | フク (fuku) | はら (hara) | belly | 腹 (はら, belly), 腹痛 (ふくつう, stomachache) | 腹が立つ = to get angry |
Internal Parts
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 骨 | コツ (kotsu) | ほね (hone) | bone | 骨 (ほね, bone), 骨折 (こっせつ, fracture) | 骨折り = hard work |
| 筋 | キン (kin) | すじ (suji) | muscle/tendon | 筋肉 (きんにく, muscle), 筋道 (すじみち, logic) | 筋道 = reasoning |
| 皮 | ヒ (hi) | かわ (kawa) | skin/peel | 皮 (かわ, skin), 皮膚 (ひふ, skin) | 皮肉 = sarcasm |
| 肌 | — | はだ (hada) | skin (living) | 肌 (はだ, skin), 鳥肌 (とりはだ, goosebumps) | 鳥肌 = goosebumps |
| 毛 | モウ (mō) | け (ke) | hair/fur | 毛 (け, hair), 毛布 (もうふ, blanket) | 毛布 = blanket |
| 血 | ケツ (ketsu) | ち (chi) | blood | 血 (ち, blood), 血液 (けつえき, blood) | 血液型 = blood type |
| 脈 | ミャク (myaku) | — | pulse/vein | 脈 (みゃく, pulse), 脈拍 (みゃくはく, pulse rate) | 脈がある = there's hope |
| 肺 | ハイ (hai) | — | lung | 肺 (はい, lung), 肺炎 (はいえん, pneumonia) | 肺炎 = pneumonia |
Body Part Idioms
| Idiom | Reading | Literal Meaning | Actual Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 手が足りない | てがたりない | hands aren't enough | short-staffed |
| 手を打つ | てをうつ | strike hands | take action |
| 足を引っ張る | あしをひっぱる | pull someone's leg | drag someone down |
| 腹が立つ | はらがたつ | stomach stands up | get angry |
| 腹を割る | はらをわる | split the belly open | speak frankly |
| 骨が折れる | ほねがおれる | bones break | be laborious |
| 肩を持つ | かたをもつ | hold someone's shoulder | take sides |
| 背に腹は代えられない | せにはらはかえられない | can't trade back for belly | choose the lesser evil |
皮 vs 肌: Both Mean "Skin" But Differ
| 皮 (かわ) | 肌 (はだ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meaning | skin/peel/hide | living skin/complexion |
| Objects | 果物の皮 (fruit peel) | — |
| Human body | 皮膚 (ひふ, skin) | 肌がきれい (beautiful skin) |
| Figurative | 皮肉 (sarcasm) | 肌感覚 (gut feeling) |
Easy rule: 皮 can be peeled off (fruit skin, leather); 肌 is living human skin.
Practice
Q1. What does 「手が足りない」 mean?
Show answer
Short-staffed. Not "my hand isn't long enough" — it means there aren't enough people to do the work. 足りない = not enough.
Q2. What does 「鳥肌が立つ」 feel like?
Show answer
Getting goosebumps. 鳥肌 (とりはだ) = goosebumps (literally "bird skin" — skin bumpy like a plucked bird). Can happen from cold, fear, or intense emotion.
Q3. How is 「腹が立つ」 different from 「怒る」?
Show answer
腹が立つ is more colloquial and internal. 腹が立つ = anger rising inside your belly (internal), 怒る (おこる) = showing anger outwardly. You can feel 腹が立つ without showing it.
Q4. Are 「背が高い」 and 「背景」 related in meaning?
Show answer
Yes. The core meaning of 背 is "behind/back." 背が高い = tall (long spine), 背景 (はいけい) = scenery behind = background.
Q5. What does 「筋が通る」 mean?
Show answer
To make sense / be logical. 筋 (すじ) means "muscle/tendon" but also "logic/reasoning." 筋が通る = the logic runs through = it makes sense.
Summary
- Body part kanji power a huge number of idioms — 腹が立つ, 手が足りない, 骨が折れる
- 皮 vs 肌: 皮 can be peeled off (fruit, leather); 肌 is living human skin
- 足 means both "foot" and "enough" — 足りる = to be sufficient
- 背's core meaning is "behind": 背中 = back, 背景 = background
- Next up: Health & Medicine — learn kanji like 医, 病, 薬, 治