股また

ま

た

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun

groin; crotch; upper inner thigh

anatomy

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.

長ながく歩あるいたら股またの内うち側がわが痛いたくなった。
After walking for a long time, the inside of my thighs started to hurt.

ズボンの股またが破やぶれてしまった。

The crotch of my pants ripped.

2

noun

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.

木きの股またに小ちいさな鳥とりの巣すがあった。
There was a small bird's nest in the fork of the tree.

Written forms

股またUsage86%
Main common spelling. Especially used for the crotch, groin, and upper inner thigh area, and also seen in expressions such as 木の股 for the fork of a tree.
マタUsage8%
叉またUsage4%
Attested spelling especially for forked shapes, branches, and prongs; less common than more ordinary words such as 分かれ目 or 歯 in some everyday contexts.
またUsage1%
胯また
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form, used for the body-part sense.

Kanji

股thigh, crotch
叉fork in road, crotch
胯crotch

Similar words

腿もも
Means the thigh as a limb part; 股 focuses more on the crotch, groin, or the area between the upper legs.
股こ間かん
More specifically refers to the crotch or genital area, and can sound more explicit or anatomical than 股.
分わかれ目め
A general word for a dividing or branching point; it lacks the body-part association of 股 and is often more natural for roads, rivers, and abstract divisions.

Etymology

また is a native Japanese word; the exact historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 股 is conventionally associated with the crotch or thigh area, while 叉 represents a forked or branching shape.