げんこつ

げ

ん

こ

つ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

clenched fist; knuckles

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a tightly closed hand, often used in contexts like hitting or threatening. Can also refer to the knuckles specifically.

拳げん骨こつで殴なぐるto hit someone with a fist
父ちちは怒おこって弟おとうとを拳げん骨こつで殴なぐった。
Father got angry and hit my brother with his fist.
〈人ひと〉の頭あたまに拳げん骨こつを落おとすto bring one's fist down on someone's head (often as a scolding)
先せん生せいは生せい徒との頭あたまに拳げん骨こつを落おとした。
The teacher gave the student a knock on the head with his fist.
拳げん骨こつを食くらうto get punched with a fist
いたずらをして兄あにの拳げん骨こつを食くらった。
I got a knuckle punch from my older brother after playing a prank.
拳げん骨こつを握にぎるto clench one's fist
彼かれは怒いかりで拳げん骨こつを握にぎりしめた。
He clenched his fist tightly in anger.

拳こぶし
拳 (こぶし) is the more formal and general word for 'fist', while 拳骨 is more colloquial and often implies a hard, bony fist used for hitting.
パンチN5
拳骨 is the native Japanese word for a fist used to hit someone, often in casual or childish contexts, while パンチ is the loanword favored in boxing and sports contexts.
鉄てっ拳けん
拳骨 is a casual, everyday word for a fist (esp. used for hitting someone), whereas 鉄拳 is more literary and emphasizes brute force or harsh punishment.

ポンコツ
拳骨 (げんこつ, 'fist') sounds similar to ポンコツ and shares its old slang meaning of hitting someone, but 拳骨 is the standard word for a clenched fist while ポンコツ's punch sense is dated slang.

発はつN2
departure; leaving at · sent from; dated · counter for aircraft engines · counter for shots, bursts, blows, jokes, ideas

げんこつUsage37%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 拳骨 is also used but less common.
ゲンコツUsage33%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
拳げん骨こつUsage30%
Kanji form; less common than kana but still encountered.

From 拳骨, literally “fist” and “bone,” referring to a clenched fist or its knuckles; げん reflects colloquial voicing of 拳’s reading けん.