股
Meanings
groin; crotch; upper inner thigh
Only when written 股 / 胯
Anatomical use for the area between the legs, including the crotch, groin, and sometimes the upper inner thighs. It can also describe the crotch part of clothing.
After walking for a long time, the inside of my thighs started to hurt.
The crotch of my pants ripped.
fork; branching point; prongs or tines
Only when written 叉 / 俣
Used for a forked part of a tree, road, river, or similar shape. The spelling 叉 especially points to a fork or prongs, but in ordinary modern wording 分かれ目 or, for a fork utensil, 歯 may be more common.
There was a small bird's nest in the fork of the tree.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉の股the fork/branching part of a tree, road, or river
A bird built a nest in the fork of the tree.
- 股を締めるto press one's thighs together
It was so cold that I instinctively pressed my thighs together.
- 道が股に分かれるfor a road to split into a fork
Up ahead, the road splits into two forks.
- 股が痛いto have a sore groin
My groin started to hurt after sitting for a long time.
Expressions
- 股を開くspread one's legs; open one's legs · agree to have sex (of a woman); put out
- 二股かけるtwo-time; play both sides; sit on the fence
- 股にかけるtravel widely; be active across a broad area
- 二股をかけるcheat on a partner; two-time · play both sides; sit on the fence
- 欲の熊鷹股裂くgreed leads to ruin; grasp all, lose all
- 小股の切れ上がったslender and stylish; slim and shapely