How do you say "knee" in Japanese?

膝

hiza

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "knee" is 膝 (hiza).

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free Japanese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

HEE-zah, two syllables, the 'za' pronounced with a soft buzzing z.

Writing and usage

膝 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

子供は膝を舗道で擦りむいた。

kodomo ha hiza wo hodou de suri muita.

The child scraped her knee on the pavement.

Test your Japanese knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember 膝

Hiza is quick to say, much like the quick bend of a knee when you kneel down.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 膝

How do you pronounce 膝?

HEE-zah, two syllables, the 'za' pronounced with a soft buzzing z.

Is 膝 formal or casual?

膝 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 膝 written in Japanese?

膝 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as hiza.

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.

"Knee" in other languages

Curated by Jack 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.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town