内臓 – Organs of the Body in Japanese
The human body is complex with several different organs with a variety of functions. If you want to learn how to talk about the body in Japanese you will want to learn the names of some major organs and parts of the body. Let’s take a look at the organs of the body in Japanese.
INDEX
呼吸器系 – Respiratory System
Humans breathe in air through the nose or mouth which eventually ends up going in and out of the lungs again. Here are some of the organs involved.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/喉頭 – Voice Box
喉頭 is the Japanese word for the larynx or voice box which controls pitch and volume. If we break down 喉頭 into its Kanji we have 喉 for throat, and 頭 for head. The Kanji 頭 here means the top instead of head. So a direct translation of 喉頭 would be top of throat.
気管・肺 – Windpipes and Lungs
The voicebox or 喉頭 and lungs are connected by the windpipes, also known as the trachea. In Japanese the word is 気管. This word is built from two kanji, the first being 管 meaning tubes or pipes. Next is 気 which represents air here but is a much more complex character that has many more meanings.
気 – What Does Ki mean, and How it is used in Japanese
Next, we have 肺 which means lungs. This character is much more simple and always means lungs.
横隔膜 – Diaphragm
The diaphragm is an important part of the body that allows you to breathe. In Japanese 横隔膜 means diaphragm.
消化器系 – Digestive System
The digestive system helps you break down and get nutrients from food. Here is how to talk about it.
食道・胃 – The Esophagus and Stomach
The Japanese word for esophagus is 食道. This word is pretty intuitive compared to the English word. Basically, it translates to something close to food path. So, even if it is not exact, knowing Kanji helps a lot to understand new words when learning Japanese.
胃 means stomach in Japanese. You can also say 胃袋 which just ads 袋 which means bag.
肝臓・胆嚢・膵臓 – Liver, Gallbladder, and Pancreas
Next, we have three important parts of the digestive system all with various functions. 肝臓 is the Japanese word for liver. 胆嚢 is the gallbladder, and finally, pancreas is 膵臓.
腸 – Intestines
The intestines are the last part of the digestive system. The word in Japanese for intestines is 腸. More specifically there is a large and a small intestine. 小腸 means small intestine and 大腸 means large intestine.
循環器系 – Cardiovascular System
The cardiovascular system transports blood throughout the body which carries nutrients and oxygen.
心臓 – The Heart
心臓 is heart in Japanese. We have already seen 臓 in a few other organs’ names. This character comes with several other words that refer to organs in Japanese. So the next time you see it in a word, it is a good chance the word has something to do with organs. Next we have the 心 Kanji.
In Depth on the Usages and Meaning of 心 in Japanese
心, is the Kanji for the physical heart, or even for the emotional heart. This comes from the word kokoro which is a complex word with several other means and usages.
動脈・静脈 – Arteries and Veins
The arteries and veins connect and carry blood to and from the heart. 動脈 means artery and 静脈 means vein. 脈 means pulse, and the two other characters, 動 and 静 mean moving and quiet respectively.
泌尿器系 – Urinary System
The urinary system helps you to eliminate liquid waste and keep your fluids in balance.
腎臓 – Kidney
The word for kidney in Japanese is 腎臓. Again we can see 臓 here which tells us this is an organ.
膀胱 – Bladder
膀胱 is bladder. There is not too much to say about this word. The two characters are not commonly used outside of this word.
神経系 – Nervous System
The nervous system helps us sense our environment and controls bodily activities.
脳 – Brain
脳 is the kanji character and word said for brain in Japanese. You can also say 脳みそ for brain which is the more colloquial way of saying it.
脊髄 – Spinal Cord
Last but not least we have the spinal cord. In Japanese, you would say 脊髄 for the spinal cord.
