How to say "breast" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 胸むねnounThe everyday word for the chest or breast area of the body, including the emotions. It is the default choice when referring to a person's chest or bosom in ordinary speech.
- 胸元むなもとnounRefers to the upper chest area, especially where a neckline or pendant sits. Natural when describing what is worn or held at the breast, as in clothing or an ornament.
- 乳房ちぶさnounThe anatomical word for the breast, including in nursing and medicine, and it can also mean an udder. Choose this when the breast itself, not the chest region, is meant.
- 胸部きょうぶnounA formal term for the chest or thorax, used chiefly in medical and technical contexts. It is seldom the word for the breasts in everyday talk; it really refers to the chest region as a whole.
- nounA katakana rendering of the English 'breast'. It is best treated as a transcription of the foreign word rather than a normal Japanese term, so it is rarely the word you want in Japanese sentences.
Use 胸 or 胸元 for the chest/upper-front of the body, 乳房 for breasts as anatomy or nursing, 胸部 for the chest in medical or formal contexts, and 「ブレスト」 mainly as a loanword transcription.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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