1.
stomach
An informal, colloquial word for the stomach, used more concretely than the medical term 胃 to emphasize capacity or appetite. Often appears in contexts about eating or appetite.
彼は胃袋が大きい。
He has a big stomach.
旅先の料理で胃袋をつかまれた。
The food I had while traveling captured my stomach.
あの店は地元の人々の胃袋を支えてきた。
That restaurant has sustained the stomachs of the local people.
USAGE:
胃袋 is more colloquial and vivid than 胃 (the standard/medical term for stomach). It emphasizes the stomach as a container for food, making it a natural choice when talking about appetite, eating capacity, or being won over by cooking.
The expression 胃袋をつかむ (to grab someone's stomach) means to win someone over through cooking — similar to the English saying "the way to someone's heart is through their stomach."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 胃袋をつかむ: to win someone over with food
- 胃袋を満たす: to fill one's stomach
- 胃袋が大きい: to have a big appetite
- 底なしの胃袋: a bottomless stomach