How to say "belly" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- お腹おなかnounThe everyday word for the belly or stomach area; the honorific お makes it polite. This is what you use in ordinary conversation when referring to your own or someone's belly.
- 腹はらnounThe same word without the polite prefix, blunter and more direct in tone. It is the form found in many set phrases; for talking about your belly in conversation, お腹 is the gentler choice.
- 腹部ふくぶnounThe anatomical term for the abdominal region, used in medicine and technical description. For the belly of everyday speech it is not the word you want; it sounds clinical.
Use 「お腹」 for the belly in everyday conversation, 腹 for the same part when you want a blunter tone or a set expression, and 腹部 for the abdomen as an anatomical region.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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