Japanese Idioms (Kanyōku): Body-Part Expressions Explained

A kanyōku (慣用句) is a Japanese idiom — a fixed phrase whose meaning can't be guessed from the individual words. English has them too ("to lend a hand," "it costs an arm and a leg"). A huge share of Japanese idioms are built around body parts, which makes them easy to group and remember. Here they are, organised by part of the body.

Why body-part idioms are a great place to start

Idioms feel intimidating because they're not literal — but the body-part ones come with a built-in memory hook. Picture the body part doing the action and the meaning often clicks. "Eyes are high" (目が高い) for someone with a good eye; "the stomach is black" (腹が黒い) for someone secretly nasty. Grouping idioms this way is exactly how Japanese students learn them for school.

Idioms with 目 (eyes)

Idiom	Reading	Meaning
目がない	me ga nai	To love something; have a weakness for it
目が高い	me ga takai	To have a discerning eye for quality
目を疑う	me o utagau	To not believe your eyes
目から鱗が落ちる	me kara uroko ga ochiru	To suddenly see the truth; an eye-opener
大目に見る	ōme ni miru	To overlook a fault; let it slide

Idioms with 口 (mouth)

Idiom	Reading	Meaning
口が堅い	kuchi ga katai	Good at keeping secrets; tight-lipped
口が軽い	kuchi ga karui	Can't keep a secret; a blabbermouth
口を割る	kuchi o waru	To confess; spill the secret
口火を切る	kuchibi o kiru	To be the first to start something
口車に乗る	kuchiguruma ni noru	To be taken in by smooth talk

Idioms with 手・足 (hands and feet)

Idiom	Reading	Meaning
手を焼く	te o yaku	To have trouble handling someone/something
手を貸す	te o kasu	To lend a hand; help out
手のひらを返す	tenohira o kaesu	To suddenly flip your attitude
足を引っ張る	ashi o hipparu	To hold someone back; drag them down
足を洗う	ashi o arau	To quit for good (esp. a bad path)
足が棒になる	ashi ga bō ni naru	To be exhausted from walking

Idioms with 顔・鼻・耳・首 (face, nose, ears, neck)

Idiom	Reading	Meaning
顔が広い	kao ga hiroi	To know a lot of people; well-connected
顔から火が出る	kao kara hi ga deru	To blush with embarrassment
鼻が高い	hana ga takai	To be proud
耳が痛い	mimi ga itai	To hear a painful truth about yourself
首を長くする	kubi o nagaku suru	To wait eagerly
首を突っ込む	kubi o tsukkomu	To get involved; poke your nose in

Idioms with 胸・腹・肩・腕 (chest, stomach, shoulders, arms)

Idiom	Reading	Meaning
胸を張る	mune o haru	To stand proud and confident
胸をなで下ろす	mune o nadeorosu	To feel relieved
腹を割る	hara o waru	To speak frankly; open up
腹が黒い	hara ga kuroi	To be secretly scheming or nasty
肩を持つ	kata o motsu	To take someone's side
腕を磨く	ude o migaku	To hone your skills

A few non-body idioms worth knowing

Idiom	Reading	Meaning
油を売る	abura o uru	To loaf around; waste time chatting
釘を刺す	kugi o sasu	To warn someone in advance
水に流す	mizu ni nagasu	To let bygones be bygones
さじを投げる	saji o nageru	To give up as hopeless
猫の手も借りたい	neko no te mo karitai	So busy you'd take help from anyone

How to remember idioms

Don't translate idioms word by word — learn each as a single unit tied to a vivid mental image, and group related ones together (all the "eye" idioms, all the "hand" idioms). Then test your recall. Being asked the meaning of 目が高い just as you're starting to forget it does far more for memory than reading the list again.

Quiz yourself on Japanese idioms. Our free quiz includes a large kanyōku set from real Japanese entrance exams — including the tricky "fill in the body part" questions. Every question has an English translation, and missed idioms return automatically.

▶ Try the free Japanese quiz