# JLPT N5 Japanese Body Parts Vocabulary

> Learn Japanese body words and the idiom 頭がいい (smart, literally 'head is good').

Canonical: https://inkujapanese.com/jlpt/n5/vocabulary/body
Last updated: 2026-04-30

The 20 body-part terms you'll see at the doctor, in idioms, and in describing yourself.

[Bao H.](https://inkujapanese.com/authors/bao-hua)Updated April 30, 20266 min read

## Short answer

Japanese body vocabulary at N5 covers the head-to-foot anatomy plus the senses (eye, ear, nose, mouth). Most body parts appear in common idioms (頭がいい, smart, literally 'head is good') so the list pays off in reading too.

## Why this list

Body vocabulary is one of the smaller N5 clusters but punches above its weight because the words anchor a huge number of idioms. 頭がいい (atama ga ii, smart). 耳がいい (mimi ga ii, good listener). 口が軽い (kuchi ga karui, can't keep a secret).

Learn the bare list first, then revisit it through idioms in N4. The same vocabulary gets used in increasingly figurative ways as you advance.

## The 20 words

| Kanji | Kana | Romaji | English |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 体 | からだ | karada | body |
| 頭 | あたま | atama | head |
| 顔 | かお | kao | face |
| 目 | め | me | eye |
| 鼻 | はな | hana | nose |
| 口 | くち | kuchi | mouth |
| 耳 | みみ | mimi | ear |
| 歯 | は | ha | tooth |
| 首 | くび | kubi | neck |
| 肩 | かた | kata | shoulder |
| 胸 | むね | mune | chest |
| 腕 | うで | ude | arm |
| 手 | て | te | hand |
| 指 | ゆび | yubi | finger |
| お腹 | おなか | onaka | stomach, belly |
| 背中 | せなか | senaka | back |
| 足 | あし | ashi | leg, foot |
| 髪 | かみ | kami | hair |
| 声 | こえ | koe | voice |
| 病気 | びょうき | byōki | illness |

## Common questions

### Why does 足 mean both leg and foot?+

Japanese doesn't always distinguish between leg and foot the way English does. Context tells you which. For specifically 'foot,' people sometimes say 足首 (ashikubi, ankle) or specify with descriptions; for 'leg,' 脚 (also ashi) is sometimes used in writing.

### How do I say 'I have a headache' in Japanese?+

頭が痛いです (atama ga itai desu). The pattern is \[body part\] が痛い for any body-part pain. お腹が痛い for stomachache, 歯が痛い for toothache.

### What does 'kao ga hiroi' literally and idiomatically mean?+

Literally: 'face is wide.' Idiomatically: 'has a wide social network, knows lots of people.' Body-part idioms are common in Japanese and surprisingly transparent once you learn the pattern.

## Related

- [JLPT N5 study guide](https://inkujapanese.com/jlpt/n5)

- [Essential phrases](https://inkujapanese.com/japanese/phrases)

These 20 words are part of this site's themed N5 editorial selection. Inku's mobile app expands that into a 551-card N5 bundle with bundled pronunciation audio and FSRS spaced review. [Download Inku](https://inkujapanese.com/).