腹

• Reading: はら
• Romaji: hara
• Kanji breakdown: 腹 (fuku/hara) — belly, abdomen
• Pronunciation: /ha.ɾa/

Meaning

Abdomen; belly; stomach. The torso area below the chest.

A noun used for the belly or stomach area, but also central to many idiomatic expressions reflecting Japanese culture's view that the belly is the seat of true feelings. Key expressions: 腹が立つ (hara ga tatsu, to get angry), 腹を割って話す (hara wo watte hanasu, to speak frankly), 腹が減る (hara ga heru, to be hungry — casual). More casual than お腹 (onaka).

Examples

1. 朝から何も食べていないので腹が減った。 I haven't eaten anything since this morning, so I'm starving.
2. 彼の失礼な態度に腹が立った。 His rude attitude really ticked me off.
3. たくさん笑って腹が痛くなった。 I laughed so much that my stomach started hurting.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, idioms, emotions

Tone: casual

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 腹 combines 月 (meat/body radical) and 复 (return/repeat), referring to the part of the body where food is repeatedly processed.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal