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側腹 (そくふく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

側そく腹ふく

also: そばはら

Meanings

1

noun

flank; side (of the body); loin

Refers to the side of the torso between the ribs and the hip. Used in medical, anatomical, and everyday contexts. Synonymous with 横腹 and 脇腹.

See also: 横腹 (よこばら) · 脇腹 (わきばら)

馬うまの側そく腹ふくを軽かるく蹴けった。
I lightly kicked the horse's flank.
側そく腹ふく部ぶに鈍にぶい痛いたみがある。
I have a dull pain in my side.

Written forms

側腹
- そくふく
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading そくふく is the most common.
- そばはら
  Rare reading; そくふく is strongly preferred in modern usage.
そばはら

Kanji

側side, lean, oppose
腹abdomen, belly, stomach

Similar words

横よこ腹ばら
Almost identical in meaning; 横腹 is slightly more colloquial and common in everyday speech.
脇わき腹ばら
Also means 'side of the body'; 脇腹 often emphasizes the area under the armpit, while 側腹 is more general or anatomical.

Etymology

Compound of 側 (side) and 腹 (belly/abdomen). The reading そくふく uses the on'yomi of both characters, while そばはら is a mixed reading (kun'yomi for 側 and on'yomi for 腹) that is now rare.