1.
stool; feces; bowel movement
The clinical or neutral term for fecal matter or the act of defecation. Used in medical settings and in everyday conversation as a more polite alternative to cruder terms.
便の色がおかしい。
The color of my stool is unusual.
赤ちゃんの便の状態を毎日チェックしている。
I check the condition of the baby's stool every day.
健康診断で便を採取して提出してください。
Please collect and submit a stool sample for the health checkup.
The standard neutral/medical term for feces and bowel movements. In medical contexts this is by far the most common word. In everyday conversation, people often use the more casual うんち} (for children or casual talk) or {大便 (more formal/clinical).
Note that the kanji 便 also has the reading びん meaning "mail; flight; service" (as in 郵便 or 便), which is a separate word.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 便秘: constipation
- 軟便: soft stool
- 硬便: hard stool
- 血便: bloody stool
- 便意: urge to defecate
- 便を出す: to have a bowel movement
- 便の検査: stool test
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 大便: feces — more formal, explicitly distinguishes from urine (小便)
- うんち: poop — childish or casual term
- 排便: defecation — the formal act itself