Japanese Expressions Using Parts of the Body

Japanese expressions using parts of the body

身体の部位（部分）の名称を使った表現集
A collection of Japanese expressions that use parts of the body

頭：あたま：head
１． 頭を使う：考える、工夫する to use your head

２． 頭を絞る（しぼる）to rack your brains

+頭を絞って、アイデアを出してください。
Think it over and give me your view.

3. 頭ごなしに言う：一方的にきめつける To speak one-sidedly, overbearingly. To talk down to someone.

+課長！頭ごなしに言わないで、私の言い分も少し、聞いてくださいよ。
Kachou, please listen to my explanation for a moment, don't just lay down the law.

4.頭が固い（堅い）：石頭ともいう：古い考えにとらわれて、新しい考えを認めない。Stubborn (also called a blockhead). Stuck in the old way of thinking, refusing to accept new ideas.

+　うちのおやじったら、もう頭が固くてこまっちゃうわ。女は９時に帰ってこいだって。
My old man is so stubborn, he wears me out. He insists his daughter be home by 9.

５．頭が上がらない：圧倒されて、対等かんけいになれない。
Unable to hold your head up: to be overborne, unable to be on equal terms.

+内の部長ったらね、会社では威張っているけどね、家に帰ると奥さんに頭が上がらないのよ。
That bucho of mine throws his weight around at work, but at home his wife has the upper hand.

６．頭が下がる：真面目で勉強な人に対して感心すること。
To bow your head in admiration: to be moved by someone's honesty and hard work.

+内のお父さんには、本当に頭がさがるわ。家族のために朝早くから夜遅くまで働いているんだから。
I really do take my hat off to my father, out working from early morning to late evening for the family.

７．頭を下げる：自分の悪いところを素直に認めて謝ること。
To bow your head in apology: because you admit you are at fault and are apologising.

+夫が妻に“うーん。本当に僕が悪かった。もうこれから二度と他の女性に遊ばないよ。ほれ、このとおり、頭を下げるよ。ごめんね、申し訳ない。
A husband says to his wife “Well, I really am sorry, I won't go out with other women again. Here, I sincerely bow my head to you. I'm sorry.”

８．頭が低い（腰が低い）：誰に対してもへりあがった態度である。
Keeping a humble attitude towards everyone

+あの人えらいわよ。部長になったのに、誰に対しても頭が低いのよ。
You have to hand it to him — he's a bucho, yet he's modest with everyone.

９．頭が高い：威張って態度が丁寧でない
An overbearing, impolite attitude

+あの奥さんたらね、ご主人が社長なったからって急に頭が高くなったみたいよ。最低ね。
That wife, relying on her husband's promotion to director, suddenly turned overbearing. Utterly beneath contempt!

１０．頭が痛い：心配事があって、その解決に悩む。
A headache (a head aching from worry, from having to sort something out)

+来週から試験なのに、何もしていないのよ。ああ頭が痛いわ。どうしよう。
The exam is next week and I haven't done a thing, ah… what a headache. What do I do now!

Source: Phạm Quyền

See also: Japanese Vocabulary for Parts of the Body