How to say "knuckle" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 節ふしnounThe general word for a joint, and the everyday way to refer to the knuckles as the joints of the fingers. Typical when a finger joint aches or you crack your knuckles.
- nounA katakana loanword from English. It refers to the knuckles, but in ordinary speech 節 is the usual word for the joints of the fingers, so this is seldom the word you need.
For the knuckles as the joints of the fingers, 節 is the everyday word; 「ナックル」 is the English loanword, but in ordinary reference to the body part it is seldom the word you want.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
