身長
shinchō[ɕĩɲ̟t͡ɕo̞ː]
In Japanese, "my height" is expressed as 身長 (shinchō).
身長 refers to the measurement of how tall a person is. In Japanese, the possessive "my" (私の) is often omitted when the context makes it clear whose height is being discussed.
Which one should you use?
Use 身長 specifically for the height of a person. For the height of inanimate objects or buildings, use the word 高さ instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, 身長 does not change its form based on whether you are talking about your own height or someone else's.
How do you pronounce it?
shinchō
Did you know?
- When measuring height, Japanese people often use センチ (senchi) for centimeters, but in historical or very formal contexts, you might encounter the unit 寸 (sun), a traditional measurement based on the length of a thumb.
- In Japanese culture, asking someone's 身長 can be seen as overly personal or blunt, especially toward women, and is less common in social introductions than in English.
- While 身長 is the standard for people, if you use the word 背 (se), which means 'back' or 'height', you are using a more colloquial and physical way to describe someone's stature.
Examples in context
- 身長は、１メートル７０です。My height is one meter seventy.This sentence is useful for stating how tall you are using 身長.Tatoeba #9392652 by small_snow, translation #8188221 by lucasmg123
- 私の身長は、平均より高いです。Watashi no shinchou wa, heikin yori takai desu.My height is higher than average.
- 最近、身長が伸びました。Saikin, shinchou ga nobimashita.My height has increased recently.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are comparing their heights.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんは身長が高いですね。Kenta-san wa shinchō ga takai desu ne.Kenta, you are tall.
- 健太 Kentaありがとうございます。arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
- 美咲 Misaki私の身長はまだ低いです。watashi no shinchō wa mada hikui desu.My height is still short.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さんはちょうどいいですよ。Misaki-san wa chōdo ii desu yo.Misaki, you are just the right height.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 身長, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
