斜辺
shahen[ɕa̠hẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese word for hypotenuse is 斜辺 (shahen).
斜辺 is a noun used to refer to the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle.
Meaning: the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters for 'slant/oblique' (斜) and 'side' (辺), literally meaning 'slant side'.
How do you pronounce it?
shahen
Did you know?
- The word 斜 also appears in the phrase 斜陽, which refers to the 'setting sun' or a 'declining power'. It evokes a sense of melancholy or the end of an era.
- In many Japanese textbooks, the Pythagorean theorem is introduced using the term 三平方の定理 (sanpeihō no teiri) rather than a name like 'Pythagoras'.
- The character 斜 is also used in the word 斜視, which means 'cross-eyed' or 'strabismus'. This describes the eyes as being 'slanted' or not aligned.
Examples in context
- 斜辺の長さを求めます。shahen no nagasa o motomemasu.I will find the length of the hypotenuse.
- この図形の斜辺はどこですか？kono zukei no shahen wa doko desu ka?Where is the hypotenuse of this figure?
- 斜辺が一番長い辺です。shahen ga ichiban nagai hen desu.The hypotenuse is the longest side.
Example conversation
Two students are studying math together at a cafe.
- 大翔 Hirotoこの三角形の斜辺はいくつかな？kono sankakkei no shahen wa ikutsu kana?I wonder how long the hypotenuse of this triangle is?
- 美咲 Misakiピタゴラスの定理を使えばわかるよ。pitagorasu no teiri o tsukaeba wakaru yo.You can find out using the Pythagorean theorem.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね、計算してみるよ。sou dane, keisan shite miru yo.That's right, I'll try calculating it.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔くん、頑張ってね。Hiroto-kun, ganbatte ne.Good luck, Hiroto.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hypotenuse” translations and entries 斜辺, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
