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Kotomora

腰

loins, hips, waist, low wainscoting

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヨウ

Kun'yomi

  • こし

Nanori

  • うすぐ

Meaning

腰 centers on the body's central pivot area: the waist, hips, and lower back (loins). The architectural sense of low wainscoting extends this idea to a structural waistline on a wall.

Most common words using 腰

20 of 130
  • 腰こし
    N4

    lower back; waist; hips; lumbar region

  • 腰痛ようつう

    lower back pain; lumbago

  • 足腰あしこし

    legs and loins; lower body

  • 腰掛けこしかけ
    N2

    seat; bench

  • 腰抜けこしぬけ

    coward

  • 本腰ほんごし

    strenuous effort; earnestness; seriousness

  • 物腰ものごし

    manner; demeanour; demeanor; bearing

  • 腰部ようぶ

    loins; hips; pelvic region; waist

  • 弱腰よわごし

    weak attitude

  • 腰椎ようつい

    lumbar vertebra; lumbar vertebrae

  • ぎっくり腰ぎっくりごし

    strained back; slipped disk; lumbosacral strain

  • 丸腰まるごし

    unarmed; without weapons

  • 腰巾着こしぎんちゃく

    hanger-on; follower; flunky; sycophant

  • 喧嘩腰けんかごし

    belligerent attitude; readiness to fight; belligerence

  • 中腰ちゅうごし

    half-sitting posture; half-standing posture; half-rising posture; stooping position

  • 腰掛けるこしかける
    N3

    to sit (down)

  • 及び腰およびごし

    bent back

  • 腰つきこしつき

    gait; posture

  • 腰砕けこしくだけ

    collapsing in the middle of a bout

  • 逃げ腰にげごし

    preparing to flee; being ready to run away

Explore all words using 腰 →

Study

Etymology

腰 combines ⺼ (flesh/body part) with 要, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of something central or pivotal, referring to the waist as the body's pivot.

Meaning mnemonic

The flesh radical ⺼ marks a body part, and 要 suggests something essential or pivotal. Picture the waist as the body's crucial pivot point where bending and turning happen.

Reading mnemonic

For ヨウ, imagine a yoga instructor saying 'yo!' while pointing at the waist: 'Yo!' -> ヨウ, and the waist is the center of the pose.