Japanese is rich with idioms built around body parts. From “eyes that have no place to put themselves” (embarrassment) to “borrowing someone’s hand” (getting help), these expressions are vivid, intuitive once you know them, and used daily by native speakers.
This guide organizes 50 essential body part idioms by kanji, making them easier to study and remember. Each idiom includes the literal meaning, figurative meaning, and a usage example.
目 (め) — Eye Idioms
The eye is one of the most productive kanji for idioms in Japanese, reflecting the cultural importance of observation and perception.
| Idiom | Literal Meaning | Figurative Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 目が高い (めがたかい) | Eyes are high | Having good taste / discerning eye | さすが目が高いですね (You have great taste!) |
| 目を丸くする (めをまるくする) | Make eyes round | To be wide-eyed with surprise | 値段を見て目を丸くした (I was shocked at the price) |
| 目が回る (めがまわる) | Eyes spinning | Extremely busy / dizzy | 今日は目が回るほど忙しい (I’m dizzyingly busy today) |
| 目に入れても痛くない (めにいれてもいたくない) | Wouldn’t hurt to put in the eye | So adorable you can’t stand it (grandchild, etc.) | 孫は目に入れても痛くない (My grandchild is impossibly precious) |
| 目を瞑る (めをつぶる) | Close one’s eyes | To overlook / turn a blind eye | 今回は目を瞑りましょう (Let’s overlook it this time) |
| 目から鱗が落ちる (めからうろこがおちる) | Scales fall from eyes | An eye-opening revelation | その説明で目から鱗が落ちた (That explanation was an epiphany) |
| 目の色を変える (めのいろをかえる) | Change the color of one’s eyes | To become intense / serious about something | セールと聞いて目の色を変えた (She got intense when she heard “sale”) |
| 目と鼻の先 (めとはなのさき) | Tip of eyes and nose | Very close distance | 駅は目と鼻の先だ (The station is right there) |
手 (て) — Hand Idioms
Hand idioms relate to actions, skills, control, and effort.
| Idiom | Literal Meaning | Figurative Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 手を貸す (てをかす) | Lend a hand | To help someone | ちょっと手を貸してくれない？(Can you give me a hand?) |
| 手に負えない (てにおえない) | Can’t carry in hands | Beyond one’s ability to handle | この問題は手に負えない (This problem is beyond me) |
| 手を抜く (てをぬく) | Pull out one’s hand | To cut corners / be lazy | 手を抜かないで！(Don’t cut corners!) |
| 手が出ない (てがでない) | Hands can’t reach | Can’t afford / out of reach | あの車は手が出ない (That car is out of my price range) |
| 手がかかる (てがかかる) | Hands are required | High-maintenance / requires effort | この植物は手がかかる (This plant is high-maintenance) |
| 手も足も出ない (てもあしもでない) | Neither hands nor feet come out | Completely helpless / powerless | 試験で手も足も出なかった (I was totally helpless on the exam) |
| 手を打つ (てをうつ) | Strike hands | To take measures / reach a deal | 早めに手を打とう (Let’s take action early) |
| 手が空く (てがあく) | Hands become free | To become available | 手が空いたら手伝って (Help me when you’re free) |
口 (くち) — Mouth Idioms
Mouth idioms deal with speech, taste, secrets, and communication.
| Idiom | Literal Meaning | Figurative Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 口が軽い (くちがかるい) | Mouth is light | Can’t keep secrets / blabbermouth | 彼は口が軽いから注意して (Be careful, he can’t keep secrets) |
| 口が堅い (くちがかたい) | Mouth is hard | Good at keeping secrets | 彼女は口が堅い (She can be trusted with secrets) |
| 口が悪い (くちがわるい) | Mouth is bad | Sharp-tongued / speaks harshly | 口が悪いけど心は優しい (Sharp tongue but kind heart) |
| 口を挟む (くちをはさむ) | Insert mouth | To butt in / interrupt | 人の話に口を挟まないで (Don’t butt into my conversation) |
| 口が滑る (くちがすべる) | Mouth slips | To let something slip accidentally | つい口が滑った (It just slipped out) |
| 口を揃える (くちをそろえる) | Align mouths | To say the same thing unanimously | 全員が口を揃えて褒めた (Everyone praised it unanimously) |
| 口に合う (くちにあう) | Fits the mouth | Suits one’s taste (food) | お口に合えば嬉しいです (I hope it suits your taste) |
Cultural note: The contrast between 口が軽い (loose lips) and 口が堅い (tight-lipped) reflects the Japanese cultural value of discretion. Being 口が堅い is a major compliment that signals trustworthiness.
足 (あし) — Foot & Leg Idioms
Foot idioms relate to movement, obstruction, and foundation.
| Idiom | Literal Meaning | Figurative Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 足を引っ張る (あしをひっぱる) | Pull someone’s leg | To drag someone down / hold them back | チームの足を引っ張りたくない (I don’t want to hold the team back) |
| 足が出る (あしがでる) | Feet come out | To go over budget | 今月は足が出た (We went over budget this month) |
| 足を運ぶ (あしをはこぶ) | Carry one’s feet | To go / visit (polite) | ぜひ足をお運びください (Please do come visit) |
| 足が棒になる (あしがぼうになる) | Legs become sticks | Legs are exhausted from walking | 一日中歩いて足が棒になった (My legs are dead from walking all day) |
| 足元を見る (あしもとをみる) | Look at someone’s feet | To exploit someone’s weakness | 足元を見られないように (Don’t let them exploit your weakness) |
頭 (あたま) — Head Idioms
Head idioms relate to intelligence, humility, and mental state.
| Idiom | Literal Meaning | Figurative Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 頭が上がらない (あたまがあがらない) | Can’t raise one’s head | Indebted to / can’t stand up to someone | 妻には頭が上がらない (I’m forever indebted to my wife) |
| 頭が切れる (あたまがきれる) | Head cuts sharp | Smart / sharp-minded | あの弁護士は頭が切れる (That lawyer is sharp) |
| 頭を冷やす (あたまをひやす) | Cool one’s head | To calm down | ちょっと頭を冷やしてこい (Go cool your head) |
| 頭が痛い (あたまがいたい) | Head hurts | A headache-inducing problem | 予算の問題で頭が痛い (The budget issue is a headache) |
| 頭を下げる (あたまをさげる) | Lower one’s head | To bow / apologize / show respect | 誠意を見せるために頭を下げた (He bowed to show sincerity) |
腹 (はら) — Belly Idioms
In Japanese culture, the belly (腹) is considered the seat of true feelings and inner thoughts — much like the “heart” in English.
| Idiom | Literal Meaning | Figurative Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 腹が立つ (はらがたつ) | Belly stands up | To be angry / annoyed | あの態度に腹が立った (That attitude made me furious) |
| 腹を割る (はらをわる) | Split the belly | To speak frankly / open up honestly | 腹を割って話そう (Let’s speak frankly) |
| 腹黒い (はらぐろい) | Black belly | Scheming / secretly malicious | あの人は腹黒い (That person is secretly scheming) |
| 腹を括る (はらをくくる) | Tie up the belly | To steel oneself / make a firm decision | 腹を括って挑戦する (I’ve steeled myself to take the challenge) |
| 腹八分目 (はらはちぶんめ) | Belly 80% full | Eat until 80% full (health wisdom) | 腹八分目が健康の秘訣 (Eating 80% full is the secret to health) |
腹 vs 心: While English uses “heart” as the center of emotions, traditional Japanese culture places true feelings in the 腹 (belly). This is also connected to the concept of 腹芸 (haragei) — the art of communicating through unspoken understanding, a key aspect of Japanese social interaction.
Quick Reference: Body Kanji Overview
| Kanji | Reading | Body Part | Number of Common Idioms | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 目 | め | Eye | 30+ | Perception, judgment, surprise |
| 手 | て | Hand | 40+ | Action, skill, effort |
| 口 | くち | Mouth | 25+ | Speech, secrets, taste |
| 足 | あし | Foot/Leg | 20+ | Movement, obstruction |
| 頭 | あたま | Head | 20+ | Intelligence, humility |
| 腹 | はら | Belly | 15+ | True feelings, resolve |
More Japanese Expressions & Vocabulary
Frequently Asked Questions
Body part idioms are universal because the body is our most immediate reference point. In Japanese, body kanji like 目, 手, 口 are among the earliest learned, making them natural building blocks for figurative expressions. The cultural emphasis on non-verbal communication also enriches body-related metaphors.
Yes, frequently at all levels. Simpler ones like 手伝う appear at N4-N5, while complex expressions like 目を丸くする and 腹を割る are N2-N1. They appear especially in reading comprehension passages.
Group them by body part and visualize the literal meaning. For example, 目が回る (eyes spinning) literally describes dizziness from being busy. Creating mental images of the literal meaning helps you remember the figurative one. Add them to SRS flashcards with example sentences.
Master body kanji and thousands more with smart SRS flashcards.