尻

• Reading: しり
• Romaji: shiri
• Kanji breakdown: 尻 (shiri) — buttocks, rear
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.ɾi/

Meaning

Buttocks; bottom; rear end. The back part of the body one sits on.

A noun referring to the buttocks. While not vulgar, it is a casual word. Appears in many idiomatic expressions such as 尻に敷く (to dominate, literally 'to sit on someone's bottom'), 尻が重い (reluctant to act), and 尻尾 (tail). The more polite term is お尻.

Examples

1. 転んでお尻を打ってしまった。 I fell and hurt my butt.
2. 赤ちゃんのお尻はとても柔らかい。 A baby's bottom is so soft.
3. 椅子に長く座っていたらお尻が痛くなった。 My butt started hurting from sitting in the chair for so long.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, body parts, idioms

Tone: casual

Origin & History

An old Japanese word of native origin (wago). The kanji 尻 combines 尸 (body/corpse radical) with 九, used here as a phonetic element.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal