How to say "elbow" in Japanese

• 肘ひじJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounThe common word for the elbow as a part of the body — the joint in the middle of the arm. For the anatomical sense, this is the word you want.
  彼女かのじょは私の肘ひじをちょっと押おした。↗

  She gave my elbow a little jog.
• エルボー
  nounA loanword for 'elbow'. It is less common than 肘, which is the usual choice for the joint of the arm, so treat this as a secondary alternative.
• 屈曲部くっきょくぶ
  nounRefers to an elbow in the shape sense — an elbow-shaped bend forming part of something — and not to the joint of the arm; for the body part you need 肘.
• 呼び樋よびどい
  nounAn elbow in the drainage sense: the gooseneck-shaped curved piece of a rainspout. It never refers to the joint of the arm, so it is seldom the word you want for the body part.

Use 肘 for the elbow of the body; 「エルボー」 is a less common loanword for the same idea; 屈曲部 and 「呼び樋」 are narrow terms for elbow-shaped bends, the latter specifically in rainspouts.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 肘ひじelbow
• エルボーelbow
• 屈曲部くっきょくぶelbow
• 呼び樋よびどいelbow