Meaning

Primary

Body

Alternatives

Oneself, Animal Flesh

Word Type

noun

Explanation

The kanji and the vocab word are the same, so this means body or oneself. It also refers to animal flesh sometimes, meaning the non-bone edible parts of animals, including seafood. It's the "mi" in sashimi!

Wondering about the difference between and ? Basically, is for the physical human (or animal) body as a whole, and is often used in relation to its condition or appearance. can refer to a physical human body too, but unlike , it's also used to refer to the self as an individual and, by extension, to one's social standing or circumstances.

Reading

  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it probably uses the kun'yomi reading. You did not learn this reading, so here's a mnemonic to help you to remember:

Who does this body belong to? To me ()!

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • とらわれの身

    captive

    自分の身

    one's own body

    自由の身

    free person

Context Sentences

会社を首にされ、身も心もズタズタです。

Because of my layoff, physically and mentally I'm torn apart.

フグは白身の魚です。

Blowfish are a white-fleshed fish.

その時、母は金のブレスレットを身につけてました。

At that time, my mother had a gold bracelet on.

Kanji Composition