Translation guide
Describes a person who has removed clothing from the upper body, exposing the torso. In Japanese, this is expressed with specific verbs and descriptive phrases, and the natural choice depends on context and formality.
Describe a state where the upper body is unclothed.
Literally 'upper body naked'. A common, neutral way to say someone is stripped to the waist. Used in both spoken and written contexts.
彼は上半身裸で庭仕事をしていた。
He was doing yard work stripped to the waist.
Noun phrase meaning 'naked upper body'. Often used in descriptive sentences.
裸の上半身にタオルをかけた。
He draped a towel over his bare chest.
Noun meaning 'stripping to the waist', often in the context of physical labor or traditional activities. Slightly literary or old-fashioned.
祭りでは男たちが肌脱ぎで神輿を担ぐ。
At the festival, the men carry the portable shrine stripped to the waist.
Describe the act of taking off clothes to become stripped to the waist.
Literally 'take off upper garment'. The most common way to express the action of stripping to the waist. Can be used for any upper clothing.
暑かったので上着を脱いだ。
It was hot, so I stripped to the waist.
Specifically 'take off one's shirt'. Natural when the garment is known to be a shirt.
彼はシャツを脱いで川に飛び込んだ。
He stripped to the waist and jumped into the river.
Literally 'become upper body naked'. Emphasizes the resulting state. Slightly more formal or descriptive.
健康診断で上半身裸になった。
I stripped to the waist for the medical checkup.
Express being stripped to the waist in very informal situations.
Literally 'become naked'. In context, can mean stripped to the waist, but may be ambiguous. Use only when the situation makes it clear.
Can mean fully naked; clarify with context or use 上半身裸 to avoid misunderstanding.
海で裸になって泳いだ。
We stripped to the waist and swam in the sea.
The English phrase 'stripped to the waist' does not have a single direct equivalent in Japanese. Translating word-for-word (e.g., 腰まで剥がされた) would be unnatural and incorrect. Use the phrases above depending on whether you describe a state or an action.