Yuko Takes Shoohei to the Vet - Body Parts

In this lesson, we'll take a closer look at some new grammatical uses. Take notes as you go over the new materials. Clarify any questions you might have by contacting your instructor.

Video Lesson: Body Parts

Please watch the following video. Below the video, you can find a printable version of the video presentation along with written notes about the video content.

Download a printable version of the Grammar: Body Parts Video Presentation.

Video Topic Review: Body Part Vocabulary

The image to the right has several body parts labeled in English. Below are the Japanese terms for these body parts, along with some additional notes.

目(め)：eye
口(くち)：mouth
歯(は)：teeth
鼻(はな)：nose
- Kanji Note: 花 is also read as はな but 花 means a flower. 鼻 and 花 are Japanese homophones.
耳(みみ)：ear
手(て)：hand
- A popular dog trick is お手(て). A dog lays its paw (front leg) on your palm.
あし：leg (脚 in Kanji), foot (足 in Kanji)
- 前足(まえあし)：foreleg, front leg
  - For animals, their front legs are like the arms and hands of humans. Some call the front paw 手(て).
- 後ろ足(うしろあし)：hindleg, leg
  - The Kanji of 後 and 前 are read differently when they are combined with another Kanji.
    - 午後三時(ごごさんじ)：3 p.m.
    - 午前十時(ごぜんじゅうじ)：10 a.m.
あたま：head
うで：arm
ゆび：finger (手のゆび); toe (足のゆび）
尾(お) andしっぽ：tail
首(くび)：neck
かお：face

Idioms Using Body Parts

Idioms are sets of words that mean something different from the original (literal) meanings of the words used in the phrases. For example: break a leg (wishing someone good luck for a performance) - no one actually hopes that someone breaks their leg, but this phrase is commonly heard before a performance.

Body parts are often used in idioms (as seen above), in Japanese as well as in English. Here are some common examples:

鼻(はな)が高い：be proud of--
- Literally, “long nose”
歯(は)が立(た)たない：(something is) too hard/difficult to do
- Literally, “teeth do not bite”
  - Compare 歯(は)が立(た)つ：one is at equal level and a thing is not so hard
耳(みみ)が遠(とお)い：hard of hearing
- Literally, “ear is far”
かおが広(ひろ)い：be well-known
- Literally, “wide face”
目の中に入れても痛(いた)くない：love and cherish something/someone extremely, often blindly
- Literally, “no pain even when putting it inside the eye”

Advanced: You may explore some body-part-related idioms. You can compare them in English and Japanese.

Final Thoughts: Body Parts

We covered quite a lot of ground in this lesson. Be sure to take careful notes on the information in each section and contact your instructor with any follow-up questions.

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