すね

す

ね

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

shin; shank; lower leg

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the front part of the lower leg between the knee and ankle. Common in everyday contexts.

〈物もの〉で脛すねを打うつto hit one's shin on something
机つくえの角かどで脛すねを打うった。
I hit my shin on the corner of the desk.
脛すねが腫はれるfor one's shin to swell up
転ころんで脛すねが腫はれてしまった。
I fell and my shin swelled up.

足あしN5
脚 is the general word for the leg as a whole, while すね names specifically the shin, the front part of the lower leg.

ふくらはぎ
すね is the shin on the front of the lower leg, whereas ふくらはぎ is the calf on the back, so learners sometimes mix up which side they mean.
腿ももN1
腿 refers to the thigh above the knee, whereas すね is the shin, the front of the lower leg below the knee.

本ほんN5
Used for long, cylindrical things; this is a somewhat conventional choice for legs/limbs in counting.

すねUsage46%
The word is usually written in kana. The kanji form 脛 is also used, but less common.
脛Usage29%
- すね
  Kanji form; less common than kana. The reading はぎ is obsolete.
- はぎ
  out-dated reading
スネUsage19%
臑すねUsage6%
Variant kanji form; rarely used.
はぎ
out-dated reading

The origin is uncertain. The kanji 脛 is a phono-semantic compound, but the Japanese word すね is likely of native origin.

Meanings

shin; shank; lower leg

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the front part of the lower leg between the knee and ankle. Common in everyday contexts.

Written forms

すねUsage46%

The word is usually written in kana. The kanji form 脛 is also used, but less common.

脛Usage29%

スネUsage19%

臑すねUsage6%

Variant kanji form; rarely used.

はぎ

out-dated reading