指
ゆび
hepburn yubi
finger
Part of speech · noun
Pattern visualization
Examples
- 指で指してください。Please point with your finger.
- 指輪をしています。I'm wearing a ring.
Collocations
指 (yubi, finger)親指 (oyayubi, thumb — "parent finger")人差し指 (hitosashi yubi, index — "person-pointing finger")中指 (nakayubi, middle)薬指 (kusuriyubi, ring — "medicine finger")
Mnemonic
指 yubi — finger plus a richly named five-finger system. 親指 (oyayubi, "parent finger" = thumb), 人差し指 (hitosashi yubi, "person-pointing finger" = index), 中指 (middle), 薬指 (kusuriyubi, "medicine finger" = ring — old doctors stirred medicine with that finger), 小指 (koyubi, "little" = pinky). Each name carries cultural metaphor: the thumb is the "parent" by size and strength; the ring finger ties to medical ritual. English "thumb/index/middle/ring/pinky" maps differently. Studying these names compresses Japanese body cognition. Onyomi し (shi): 指示 (shiji, instruction), 指導 (shidou, guidance).
Quick check
Etymology of "薬指" (ring finger)?