1.
leg (of a person or animal); limb
The whole limb from the hip to the foot — what supports the body and is used for walking. Distinct from 足 (foot), though the readings are identical and the words overlap in casual writing.
脚が長い。
She has long legs.
鳥の脚は細い。
Birds' legs are thin.
長時間座っていたので脚がしびれてしまった。
Because I was sitting for a long time, my legs went numb.
2.
leg (of furniture or equipment)
The supporting parts under a table, chair, camera tripod, or similar object.
テーブルの脚がぐらつく。
The table's leg wobbles.
椅子の脚が一本折れた。
One of the chair's legs broke.
カメラの三脚は脚を広げて安定させる。
Spread the legs of the camera tripod to stabilize it.
脚 and 足 share the same reading but differ in scope:
- 脚: the whole leg (hip to foot), plus furniture/equipment legs
- 足: the foot proper (ankle down), and by extension the lower limb in casual use
In everyday writing, 足 is often used for both. 脚 is preferred when the context emphasizes the leg as a limb (anatomy, fashion, sports) or when referring to non-human "legs."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 脚が長い: to have long legs
- 脚を組む: to cross one's legs
- テーブルの脚: the legs of a table
- 脚が細い: to have thin legs
RELATED COMPOUNDS:
- 三脚: tripod
- 脚立: stepladder
- 脚本: script, screenplay
Related Words
Related:
足 (foot (homophone))