Body part kanji are some of the most practical characters you’ll learn. They show up at the doctor’s office, in fitness articles, in idioms, and in everyday conversation. What makes them especially learnable is one radical that connects almost all of them: にくづき (肉月).
This guide covers 40 body kanji organized from head to toe, plus body action verbs and the Japanese body idioms that will make you sound like a native speaker.
Head & Face
The face carries enormous cultural weight in Japanese - the concept of “face” (顔, 面目) extends far beyond physical appearance into social standing and reputation.
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | JLPT | Key Compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 頭 | あたま / とう・ず | Head | N4 | 頭痛 (ずつう) headache; 先頭 (せんとう) lead |
| 顔 | かお / がん | Face | N3 | 笑顔 (えがお) smile; 顔色 (かおいろ) complexion |
| 目 | め / もく | Eye | N4 | 目的 (もくてき) purpose; 目立つ (めだつ) stand out |
| 耳 | みみ / じ | Ear | N4 | 耳鼻科 (じびか) ENT clinic; 初耳 (はつみみ) first time hearing |
| 口 | くち / こう | Mouth | N4 | 入口 (いりぐち) entrance; 口実 (こうじつ) excuse |
| 鼻 | はな / び | Nose | N3 | 鼻血 (はなぢ) nosebleed; 鼻息 (はないき) nasal breathing |
| 歯 | は / し | Tooth | N3 | 歯医者 (はいしゃ) dentist; 歯磨き (はみがき) brushing teeth |
| 首 | くび / しゅ | Neck | N3 | 首都 (しゅと) capital city; 手首 (てくび) wrist |
| 額 | ひたい / がく | Forehead, amount | N2 | 金額 (きんがく) amount of money; 額縁 (がくぶち) picture frame |
| 頬 | ほお・ほほ | Cheek | N1 | 頬杖 (ほおづえ) chin in hand; 頬骨 (ほおぼね) cheekbone |
Upper Body
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | JLPT | Key Compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 肩 | かた / けん | Shoulder | N2 | 肩書き (かたがき) title; 肩こり (かたこり) stiff shoulders |
| 腕 | うで / わん | Arm | N2 | 腕時計 (うでどけい) wristwatch; 腕前 (うでまえ) skill |
| 手 | て / しゅ | Hand | N5 | 手紙 (てがみ) letter; 上手 (じょうず) skillful |
| 指 | ゆび / し | Finger | N3 | 指名 (しめい) nomination; 指輪 (ゆびわ) ring |
| 胸 | むね / きょう | Chest, heart | N2 | 胸騒ぎ (むなさわぎ) foreboding; 胸囲 (きょうい) chest measurement |
| 背 | せ / はい | Back, height | N3 | 背景 (はいけい) background; 背中 (せなか) back |
| 腰 | こし / よう | Waist, hips | N2 | 腰痛 (ようつう) back pain; 弱腰 (よわごし) weak-kneed |
Lower Body
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | JLPT | Key Compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 足 | あし / そく | Foot, leg | N4 | 足跡 (あしあと) footprint; 不足 (ふそく) shortage |
| 脚 | あし / きゃく | Leg (formal) | N2 | 脚本 (きゃくほん) screenplay; 脚光 (きゃっこう) spotlight |
| 膝 | ひざ / しつ | Knee | N1 | 膝枕 (ひざまくら) lap pillow; 膝蓋骨 (しつがいこつ) kneecap |
| 腹 | はら / ふく | Belly, stomach | N3 | 腹筋 (ふっきん) abs; 空腹 (くうふく) hunger |
Internal Body
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | JLPT | Key Compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 心 | こころ / しん | Heart, mind | N4 | 安心 (あんしん) relief; 心臓 (しんぞう) heart (organ) |
| 肺 | はい | Lung | N2 | 肺炎 (はいえん) pneumonia; 肺活量 (はいかつりょう) lung capacity |
| 胃 | い | Stomach | N2 | 胃腸 (いちょう) stomach & intestines; 胃薬 (いぐすり) stomach medicine |
| 腸 | ちょう | Intestine | N2 | 大腸 (だいちょう) large intestine; 腸炎 (ちょうえん) enteritis |
| 血 | ち / けつ | Blood | N3 | 血液 (けつえき) blood; 血圧 (けつあつ) blood pressure |
| 骨 | ほね / こつ | Bone | N3 | 骨折 (こっせつ) fracture; 骨格 (こっかく) skeleton |
| 肉 | にく | Meat, flesh | N4 | 筋肉 (きんにく) muscle; 肉体 (にくたい) physical body |
| 皮 | かわ / ひ | Skin, leather | N3 | 皮膚 (ひふ) skin; 毛皮 (けがわ) fur |
The にくづき (肉月) Radical Explained
Why does the “flesh” radical look like the moon? The radical にくづき evolved from 肉 (にく, flesh/meat). Over centuries of simplification, 肉 was compressed into a form identical to 月 (つき, moon). In modern kanji, they look exactly the same, but their origins are completely different. When you see 月 on the left side of a kanji like 肺, 腕, 胸, 腰, 腹, 腸, 膝 - that’s the flesh radical, not the moon.
Here’s the quick test: 月 on the left = flesh (body part). 月 on the right or bottom = usually moon or month. Exceptions exist, but this rule covers the vast majority of cases.
Body Action Verbs
These kanji describe what the body does - the physical actions that connect body parts to daily life:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | JLPT | Key Compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 見 | みる / けん | See, look | N5 | 意見 (いけん) opinion; 見学 (けんがく) field trip |
| 聞 | きく / ぶん | Hear, listen | N5 | 新聞 (しんぶん) newspaper; 聞き取り (ききとり) listening |
| 食 | たべる / しょく | Eat | N5 | 食事 (しょくじ) meal; 食欲 (しょくよく) appetite |
| 走 | はしる / そう | Run | N4 | 走行 (そうこう) running; 競走 (きょうそう) race |
| 歩 | あるく / ほ | Walk | N4 | 散歩 (さんぽ) walk; 歩道 (ほどう) sidewalk |
| 立 | たつ / りつ | Stand | N4 | 立場 (たちば) position; 独立 (どくりつ) independence |
| 座 | すわる / ざ | Sit | N3 | 座席 (ざせき) seat; 正座 (せいざ) formal sitting |
Body Kanji in Japanese Idioms
Japanese is packed with body-based idioms (慣用句, かんようく). Learning these will dramatically improve your reading comprehension and make you sound natural:
| Idiom | Literal Meaning | Actual Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 目から鱗 (めからうろこ) | Scales from the eyes | Sudden realization, eye-opener |
| 腕を磨く (うでをみがく) | Polish your arm | Improve your skill |
| 首を長くする (くびをながくする) | Make your neck long | Eagerly await something |
| 顔が広い (かおがひろい) | Wide face | Well-connected, knows many people |
| 手を抜く (てをぬく) | Pull out your hand | Cut corners, slack off |
| 足を引っ張る (あしをひっぱる) | Pull someone’s leg | Hold someone back, be a burden |
| 腹を割る (はらをわる) | Split your belly | Speak frankly, be honest |
| 耳が痛い (みみがいたい) | My ears hurt | Hard to hear (because it’s true) |
| 骨を折る (ほねをおる) | Break a bone | Go to great trouble for someone |
Study tip: Body idioms are extremely common on JLPT N2 and N1 reading sections. They also appear frequently in manga, novels, and workplace conversations. Learning the body kanji first makes these idioms instantly more memorable.
Related Reading on Kanjijo
Frequently Asked Questions
The にくづき (肉月) radical evolved from 肉 (flesh), which was simplified over centuries into the same shape as 月 (moon). When you see 月 on the left side of body kanji like 腕, 胸, 肺, it’s actually the flesh radical - not the moon.
JLPT N5–N4 covers basic body kanji: 目, 口, 耳, 手, 足, 頭. N3 adds 顔, 首, 指, 背, 骨, 血. N2–N1 includes detailed anatomy like 肺, 腸, 膝, 額, 頬. About 30–40 body kanji appear across all JLPT levels.
Essential ones include 目から鱗 (sudden realization), 腕を磨く (improve your skill), and 首を長くする (eagerly await). These appear frequently in daily conversation and JLPT reading passages.
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