How do you say "jaw" in Japanese?

顎

ago

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "jaw" is 顎 (ago).

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Pronunciation

AH-goh, identical in sound to chin, since Japanese uses the same word for both.

Writing and usage

顎 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

彼は顎を食いしばり、集中した。

kareha ago wo kui shibari, shuuchuu shita.

He clenched his jaw in concentration.

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How to remember 顎

Ago covers both chin and jaw, so picture the whole lower part of the face as one connected ago.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 顎

How do you pronounce 顎?

AH-goh, identical in sound to chin, since Japanese uses the same word for both.

Is 顎 formal or casual?

顎 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 顎 written in Japanese?

顎 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as ago.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Jaw" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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