Explore 胸 in physical descriptions and expressions of feeling.
The idea
胸 has 10 strokes. Its usual standalone reading is むね; in compounds such as 胸囲（きょうい, chest circumference）, it can be きょう. Learn each reading with the whole word.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 胸 | むね | chest |
| 胸囲 | きょうい | chest circumference |
| 胸がいっぱい | むねがいっぱい | be full of emotion |
| 胸を張る | むねをはる | hold one’s head high |
Examples
- 胸に手を当てました。I put my hand on my chest.
- 走ったあと、胸がどきどきしました。My heart was pounding after I ran.
- その話を聞いて、胸がいっぱいになりました。Hearing that story filled me with emotion.
- 彼女は胸を張って歩きました。She walked with her chest out.
- 医者は胸の音を聞きました。The doctor listened to my chest.
- 深く息を吸うと、胸が広がりました。When I breathed in deeply, my chest expanded.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
胸がいっぱい means being overcome with emotion, not literally a full chest. 胸を張る describes a proud posture or confidence.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 胸 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
むね
胸 alone is read むね, as in 胸に手を当てる.
Write the reading of 胸囲 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
きょうい
胸囲 is read きょうい; 胸 takes its compound reading きょう here.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿を張る［胸／月］.
Show answer or example answer
胸
胸 completes 胸を張る, meaning to stand proud or be confident.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 胸 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 胸囲 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿を張る［胸／月］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Write 胸 using the linked stroke diagram, then use 胸がいっぱい in a sentence.