Japanese word

肉体

Pronunciation

Romajinikutai

Meaning

  • nounbody

Example

毎日運動して肉体を鍛えます。mai nichi un dō shi te niku tai o kita e ma su

I exercise every day to strengthen my body.

Illustration for 肉体 (body)

More examples

健康な肉体を保つには、十分な睡眠が必要です。ken kō na niku tai o tamo tsu ni wa jū bun na sui min ga hitsu yō de su

Adequate sleep is necessary to maintain a healthy body.

Core concept

Describes the tangible physical side of a person, especially as a source of strength, effort, or sensation.

Common phrases

  • 肉体を鍛えるniku tai o kita e ru

    strengthen the body

  • 肉体の疲れniku tai no tsuka re

    physical fatigue

Similar words

体karada: The usual neutral word for a person's physical body in everyday conversation.
身体shintai: A formal term for the physical body, often used in health or medical contexts.

Definition in Japanese

人のからだそのもの、特に精神や心と対比した物質的な部分。hito no ka ra da so no mo no toku ni sei shin ya kokoro to tai hi shi ta bus shitsu teki na bu bun

Word origin

肉 (niku, "flesh") + 体 (tai, "body") forms a Sino-Japanese compound meaning the physical body.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 肉体 (nikutai) sounds more formal and emphasizes the physical body, while 体 (karada) is the usual neutral word.

Other meanings

  • physiquenoun
  • fleshnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word