小脳
shōnō
The Japanese word for cerebellum is 小脳 (shōnō).
小脳 is a noun used to refer to the part of the hindbrain in vertebrates.
Meaning: part of the hindbrain in vertebrates (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters for 'small' (小) and 'brain' (脳).
How do you pronounce it?
shōnō
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 脳 is often used metaphorically in the phrase 脳が溶ける meaning 'one's brain is melting', describing an overwhelming feeling of pleasure or exhaustion.
- Because 小脳 is a technical anatomical term, it is almost exclusively written using kanji rather than katakana, which is more common for foreign-derived medical terms in Japanese.
- The structure of 小脳 follows a very logical 'size + organ' pattern that is common in Japanese scientific naming, making it much more predictable than many Western anatomical terms.
Examples in context
- 小脳は運動の調整に重要な役割を果たしています。The cerebellum plays a vital role in coordinating movements.
- 小脳は運動の調節を司る。shounou wa undou no chousetsu o tsukasadoru.The cerebellum regulates movement.
- 小脳の働きは非常に重要です。shounou no hataraki wa hijou ni juuyou desu.The function of the cerebellum is very important.
- 彼は小脳に損傷を受けた。kare wa shounou ni sonshou o uketa.He suffered damage to his cerebellum.
Example conversation
Two students are studying biology in a library.
- 陽太 Yota小脳って何をする部分なの？shounou tte nani o suru bubun nano?What part of the brain is the cerebellum?
- 結衣 Yui体のバランスを保つ役割があるよ。karada no baransu o tamotsu yakuwari ga aru yo.It plays a role in maintaining body balance.
- 陽太 Yotaなるほど、難しい単語だね。naruhodo, muzukashii tango dane.I see, it's a difficult word.
- 結衣 Yui陽太君、試験に出るから覚えておこう！Youta-kun, shiken ni deru kara oboete okou!Youta, it's on the exam, so let's memorize it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cerebellum” translations and entries 小脳, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
