Japanese word

腹

Pronunciation

Romajihara

Meaning

  • nounstomach

Example

腹が痛いです。hara ga ita i de su

My stomach hurts.

Illustration for 腹 (stomach)

More examples

朝ご飯を食べたので、腹がいっぱいです。asa go han o ta be ta no de hara ga i ppa i de su

I am full because I ate breakfast.

Core concept

腹 (hara) covers both the stomach as an internal organ and the front area of the torso around it.

Common phrases

  • 腹が痛いhara ga ita i

    have a stomachache

  • 腹が減るhara ga he ru

    get hungry

  • 腹を壊すhara o kowa su

    get an upset stomach

Similar words

おなかonaka: The stomach or the front area of the body around it, expressed in a softer and more polite way.

Definition in Japanese

食べ物を消化する体内の器官や、その器官のある胴体の前側。ta be mono o shō ka su ru tai nai no ki kan ya so no ki kan no a ru dō tai no mae gawa

Word origin

腹 (hara, "belly") is a native Japanese word, while its kanji 腹 (fuku, "belly") was borrowed from Chinese to represent the same body area.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 腹 (hara) can mean either stomach or belly, while おなか (onaka) is often the softer and more polite choice for the same area.

Other meanings

  • bellynoun

Word lists with this word