How to say "brains" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounCovers 'brains' in the sense of a clever person who plans or advises behind the scenes, like a brain trust. Use it when referring to people, not to intellect itself.
- 知能ちのうnounRefers to intelligence or intellect as a mental faculty, as in a person's or an animal's level of intelligence. Choose it when 'brains' means cognitive ability rather than the organ or a person.
- 頭脳ずのうnounCovers the brain as the organ of thought, and by extension keen mental power. It also appears in contexts like a nation's 'brains', meaning talented people, though the organ/intellect sense is central.
- 知力ちりょくnounMeans intellectual power or mental capacity — the strength of one's mind in tasks like puzzles, games, or study. Use it for measurable or applied mental ability rather than the brain itself.知力では誰も彼にはかなわない。↗No one equals him in intelligence.
- 脳のうnounThe basic word for the brain as a physical organ, and by extension the mind. This is the word you want when 'brains' refers to anatomy or the seat of thought.
For the organ or mind, use 脳 or 頭脳; for mental ability, 知能 or 知力; for a clever person behind an operation, 「ブレーン」 is the word to reach for.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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