腹 (はら) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

腹 (はら) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

Grammar

一人ひとり・二に本ほん・三さん冊さつNumbers and countersN5

Kanji

腹abdomen, belly, stomach
肚belly, stomach

Related words· 6

胎たい sense 2
胎 is a more literary word for the womb, while 腹 is the everyday word that can also mean 'womb' depending on context.
胃いN4sense 1
胃 is the precise anatomical term for the stomach organ, whereas 腹 is the general word for the belly area and also carries emotional or metaphorical meanings.
お腹なかN5
腹 is blunt and can sound rough or masculine, while お腹 is the polite, gentle word used in everyday conversation.

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ベリー
腹 is a blunt, sometimes rough native word for the belly, whereas ベリー sounds softer and more fashionable.
下したっ腹ぱら
腹 is the plain, general word for belly, whereas 下っ腹 narrows the focus to the area below the navel.

Politeness

お腹なかpolite 丁寧語N5sense 1
腹 is the plain, direct word for the stomach, while お腹 is the softer, more polite form commonly used in everyday conversation and with children.

Don't confuse with

胃いN4
胃 refers to the specific stomach organ, while 腹 refers more broadly to the belly or abdomen area, so 腹が痛い can mean general stomach/abdominal pain whereas 胃が痛い points to the stomach itself.
胴どうN1
腹 refers narrowly to the belly/stomach area, while 胴 is the broader term for the whole torso including the belly.

Word family· 102

腹はら立だつ
get angry; become irritated
裏うら腹はら
opposite; contrary; reverse · front and back; back to back; inseparable
腹はらの中なか
in the belly; in the stomach · in one's heart of hearts; deep down; inwardly

Written forms

腹はらUsage91%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
肚はらUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should use 腹.
はらUsage3%
ハラUsage2%

Etymology

Native Japanese word. The kanji 腹 is a phono-semantic compound with 月 (flesh) and 复 (return, again), but the exact derivation of the Japanese reading はら is uncertain.