骨
hone[ho̞ne̞]
The English word "bone" is 骨 (hone) in Japanese.
骨 refers to a component of a skeleton. While it is used literally to discuss anatomy, it also appears in the idiom 骨が折れる (hone ga oreru), which means that something is strenuous or requires a lot of hard work.
Meaning: component of a skeleton (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
hone
Did you know?
- The word 骨 appears in the term 骨董, meaning 'antiques', which literally translates to 'bones and old things'.
- In Japanese culture, the concept of 骨 is linked to the idea of ancestry and lineage, as bones are seen as the enduring part of a person that remains after death.
- The word 骨 is believed to be related to the Sanskrit word 'kapāla', meaning 'skull' or 'bowl'.
Examples in context
- 骨が折れてます。The bone is broken.This sentence uses 骨 to describe a broken bone.Tatoeba #12144413 by small_snow, translation #10736488 by ddnktr
- 骨折はしてない。No bone was broken.This sentence uses 骨 to indicate the absence of a broken bone.Tatoeba #12391412 by YumaSalty, translation #3847273 by andrewgtreantos
- 彼は犬に骨をやった。He gave the dog a bone.This sentence uses 骨 to describe giving a bone to a dog.Tatoeba #107716 by bunbuku, translation #295969 by CK
- 彼の骨は強かった。His bones were strong.
- このスープには鶏の骨から取った出汁が入っています。This soup contains broth made from chicken bones.
- 彼は足の骨を折ったよ。He broke a bone in his leg.
- 昨日野球で腕の骨を折っちゃったよ。I broke a bone in my arm playing baseball yesterday.
- 犬は骨を噛むのが大好きです。Dogs love to chew on bones.
- 考古学者たちはその遺跡で古代の動物の骨を発見しました。The archaeologists discovered ancient animal bones at the site.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A boy and a girl are looking at a dinosaur fossil in a museum.
- 陽葵 Himariこの恐竜の骨はとても大きいね。Kono kyoryu no hone wa totemo okii ne.This dinosaur bone is really big, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yota本当に。骨の形がすごく綺麗だ。Honto ni. Hone no katachi ga sugoku kirei da.Really. The shape of the bone is beautiful.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太君もそう思う?Yota-kun mo so omou?Do you think so too, Yota?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、陽葵ちゃん。すごく迫力があるよ。Un, Himari-chan. Sugoku hakuryoku ga aru yo.Yeah, Himari. It's very powerful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bone” translations and entries 骨, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 骨, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.