How do you say "shin" in Japanese?

すね

sune

Noun Hiragana

In Japanese, "shin" is すね (sune).

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Pronunciation

Sune is soo-neh, two short syllables, quick and blunt like a sudden knock to the shin.

Writing and usage

すね is written using hiragana. 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

彼はボールを蹴ってすねを痛めた。

kareha booru wo ketsu tesunewo itame ta.

He kicked the ball and hurt his shin.

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How to remember すね

Say soo-neh sharply, like the quick yelp you'd make after kicking something with your shin.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about すね

How do you pronounce すね?

Sune is soo-neh, two short syllables, quick and blunt like a sudden knock to the shin.

Is すね formal or casual?

すね 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 すね written in Japanese?

すね is written using hiragana. Romanised, it reads as sune.

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.

"Shin" 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.

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