How can I differentiate between feet and legs?


Feet are 足, and legs are also 足.

Is there a word or method with which I can easily talk about one and not the
other? And if not, why is there no word for feet in the Japanese language?

Caveat: I know that one can just use フィート but that feels so very not
Japanese...




> Is there a word or method with which I can easily talk about one and not the
> other?

A short answer is that there is no simple way. If you have to talk
specifically about foot but not leg, you have to explain it such as
足{あし}の足首{あしくび}から先{さき}の部分{ぶぶん} (the part of leg which is below ankle).
Similarly, you have to exclude foot, you have to explain it such as
足{あし}の足首{あしくび}より上{うえ}の部分{ぶぶん} (the part of leg which is above ankle).

There are two kanji for あし: 足 and 脚. Sometimes they mean different parts of
human body, in which case 足 means foot and 脚 means leg (including thigh but
usually not including hip). But this is not always the case, and in particular
足 can also mean the same part as 脚. My personal impression is that using 脚 for
foot is rare.

As technical terms in medicine,
[足](http://www5.atpages.jp/motoneuron/?%E8%B6%B3) always means foot, and
[下肢{かし}](http://www5.atpages.jp/motoneuron/?%E4%B8%8B%E8%82%A2) means [lower
limb](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_limb) (which is a little broader than
“leg”). The precise meaning of “leg,” which is the free part of lower limb
(the part of lower limb that we can move by will), is called
[自由下肢{じゆうかし}](http://www5.atpages.jp/motoneuron/?%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1%E4%B8%8B%E8%82%A2).
But 下肢 is a formal word and not usually used in a daily conversation, and 自由下肢
is completely a technical term and at least I did not know the term 自由下肢 at
all until I looked it up just now.




> Is there a word or method with which I can easily talk about one and not the
> other?

A short answer is that there is no simple way. If you have to talk
specifically about foot but not leg, you have to explain it such as
足{あし}の足首{あしくび}から先{さき}の部分{ぶぶん} (the part of leg which is below ankle).
Similarly, you have to exclude foot, you have to explain it such as
足{あし}の足首{あしくび}より上{うえ}の部分{ぶぶん} (the part of leg which is above ankle).

There are two kanji for あし: 足 and 脚. Sometimes they mean different parts of
human body, in which case 足 means foot and 脚 means leg (including thigh but
usually not including hip). But this is not always the case, and in particular
足 can also mean the same part as 脚. My personal impression is that using 脚 for
foot is rare.

As technical terms in medicine,
[足](http://www5.atpages.jp/motoneuron/?%E8%B6%B3) always means foot, and
[下肢{かし}](http://www5.atpages.jp/motoneuron/?%E4%B8%8B%E8%82%A2) means [lower
limb](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_limb) (which is a little broader than
“leg”). The precise meaning of “leg,” which is the free part of lower limb
(the part of lower limb that we can move by will), is called
[自由下肢{じゆうかし}](http://www5.atpages.jp/motoneuron/?%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1%E4%B8%8B%E8%82%A2).
But 下肢 is a formal word and not usually used in a daily conversation, and 自由下肢
is completely a technical term and at least I did not know the term 自由下肢 at
all until I looked it up just now.

