Translation guide
The part of the body connecting the head and torso, and related concepts like the neck of an object or a narrow part.
The physical neck of a person or animal.
The most common and general word for 'neck' in Japanese. Used for both people and animals.
首が痛い。
My neck hurts.
キリンの首は長い。
A giraffe's neck is long.
The part of a garment that surrounds the neck, like a collar or neckline.
Refers specifically to the collar or neckline of clothing. Not used for the body part.
このシャツは襟が汚れている。
This shirt has a dirty collar.
Loanword from English, often used in fashion contexts for 'neckline' or 'neck' of clothing.
Vネックのセーター
V-neck sweater
The slender part of something, like a bottle or a musical instrument.
To be fired from a job (idiomatic, related to 'neck' as in 'get the axe').
Literally 'to become a neck', meaning to be fired or dismissed from a job. Very common idiom.
彼は会社を首になった。
He got fired from the company.
Literally 'to cut the neck', meaning to fire someone. The transitive counterpart of 首になる.
The front part of the neck, including the throat, often in medical or choking contexts.
A narrow strip of land, such as an isthmus or a peninsula neck.
首 (くび) is the body part, while 襟 (えり) is the collar of clothing. Using 首 for a shirt collar sounds odd.
The phrase 首になる (to be fired) is extremely common and should be learned as a set phrase. It does not literally mean 'to become a neck' in modern usage.
社長は彼の首を切った。
The boss fired him.