ふくらはぎ

also: ふくろはぎ

ふ

く

ら

は

ぎ

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

calf (of the leg)

usually written using kana aloneanatomy

Anatomical term for the back part of the lower leg. Commonly used in everyday language.

ランニングの後あと、ふくらはぎが痛いたい。
After running, my calves hurt.
彼かの女じょはふくらはぎをマッサージしてもらった。
She had her calves massaged.

See all 24 example sentences ›

Kanji

脹dilate, distend, bulge
脛leg, shin
膨swell, get fat, thick

Don't confuse with

すねN1
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 is the upper leg between hip and knee, while ふくらはぎ is the calf, the back of the lower leg below the knee.

Written forms

ふくらはぎUsage93%
The word is usually written in kana. This is the most common and recommended spelling.
脹脛ふくらはぎUsage4%
Rare kanji form. The first kanji means 'swell' and the second means 'shin', but this spelling is seldom used.
フクラハギUsage2%
脹ふくら脛はぎUsage1%
Rare kanji form with okurigana. Not commonly encountered.
ふくら脛はぎUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only mixed form; not a standard spelling.
膨ふくら脛はぎ
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 膨 (swell). Marked as rarely used.

Etymology

The word is a compound of ふくら (swelling) and はぎ (shin), referring to the bulging shape of the calf muscle. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.