How to say "thumb" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 親指おやゆびnounThe common everyday word for the thumb, the short, thick first digit of the hand. Use this in ordinary conversation and writing whenever you refer to the digit itself.
- nounThe English word 'thumb' taken into Japanese as a loanword. It is less common, and for the digit on the hand it is seldom the word you want — reach for 親指 instead.
- 拇指ぼしnounThe anatomical term for the thumb, matching Latin pollex. You will meet it in medical, scientific, and other technical writing; in everyday speech 親指 is the natural choice.
Use 親指 for the thumb in everyday language; 拇指 is the anatomical term found in medical and technical writing; 「サム」 is the borrowed English word, seldom the word you need for the digit itself.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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