背丈(せたけ)

せたけ
noun
stature; height (of a person)
body-partsize
1. stature; height; body height
A person's height or stature. Composed of 背 (back, height) + 丈 (length, measure). More literary and descriptive than 身長 (しんちょう), which is the standard clinical/statistical term for height.
背丈(せたけ)が伸(の)びた。
My height has grown.
彼女(かのじょ)は母親(ははおや)と同(おな)じくらいの背丈(せたけ)だ。
She is about the same height as her mother.
草(くさ)が背丈(せたけ)ほどに伸(の)びていて、前(まえ)が見(み)えなかった。
The grass had grown to about my height, and I couldn't see ahead.

Usage

背丈(せたけ) is used more in descriptive or narrative contexts, while 身長(しんちょう) is the standard term for exact height measurements (e.g., on medical forms). 背(せ) alone can also mean height in casual speech (背(せ)が高(たか)い — "tall").

Common collocations

Related Words

Compare: 背(せ)の高(たか)さ ((a person's) height)
general
Added 2026.3.10 15:04 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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