胸
mune[mɯ̟na̠]
The English word "breast" can be translated into Japanese as 胸 (mune). Wiktionary also lists 乳房 (chibusa) and にゅうぼう (nyūbō).
Meaning: milk-producing organ (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 胸 | mune | [mɯ̟na̠] (narrow) [mɯ̟ne̞] (narrow) |
| 乳房 | chibusa | [t͡ɕibɯ̟sa̠] (narrow) [ɲ̟ɨːbo̞ː] (narrow) |
| にゅうぼう | nyūbō |
The term is used to refer to the milk-producing organ.
What does it mean word for word?
The term にゅうぼう is composed of characters for "milk" (乳) and "room/chamber" (房), literally meaning a milk chamber or organ.
Which one should you use?
胸 is the most common way to refer to the chest or breast area in general conversation. 乳房 is the most formal and commonly used term for breast in medical contexts. おっぱい is an informal word for breast used in everyday conversation, while its variation オッパイ is often considered flirtatious or humorous.
How do you pronounce it?
mune
Did you know?
- The word for breast, 胸, is potentially related to the word for 'main roofline' or 'roof ridge', 棟, sharing a common root meaning 'central' or 'main part'.
- The word 胸 can refer to the physical breast, but it is also used metaphorically to describe the 'heart' or the seat of emotions in Japanese culture.
Examples in context
- 和子が胸をはだけて赤ん坊に乳をふくませた。Kazuko bared her breast and fed the baby.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 胸 when describing baring the breast to feed a baby.Tatoeba #393840 by blay_paul, translation #393841 by blay_paul
Example conversation
Hiyori is talking to her husband about her health.
- 陽葵 Himari最近、胸が張っている気がするの。saikin, mune ga hatte iru ki ga suru no.I feel like my breasts have been swollen lately.
- 大翔 Hiroto大丈夫？病院に行ったほうがいいよ。daijōbu? byōin ni itta hō ga ii yo.Are you okay? You should go to the hospital.
- 陽葵 Himariそうね。明日予約を入れるわ。sō ne. ashita yoyaku o ireru wa.You're right. I'll make an appointment tomorrow.
- 大翔 Hiroto分かった。付き添うから教えてね。wakatta. tsukisou kara oshiete ne.Got it. Let me know, I'll go with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breast” translations and entries 胸, 乳房, にゅうぼう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 乳房, 胸, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
