10 Japanese Words for Health Conditions | Essential Vocabulary for When You're Sick
Here are 10 essential words to accurately describe your symptoms when you're sick or visiting a hospital.
This list consists of practical N4-level vocabulary, such as '痛い' (painful) and '熱' (fever), that you can use right away.
We'll also explore common sentence patterns for describing symptoms and subtle nuances in choosing the right verbs.
How this bundle was curated
All items at a glance
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 体 | からだ | Body |
| 頭 | あたま | Head |
| お腹 | おなか | Stomach / Belly |
| 痛い | いたい | Painful / Hurt |
| 病気 | びょうき | Illness / Sickness |
| 薬 | くすり | Medicine |
| 病院 | びょういん | Hospital |
| 熱 | ねつ | Fever |
| 疲れる | つかれる | To get tired / Exhausted |
| 大丈夫 | だいじょうぶ | Okay / Alright |
Item by item
Reading: からだ
Body
Refers to the entire physical body. It's often used in the phrase '体の調子' (body condition) to talk about how you're feeling.
Reading: あたま
Head
Refers to the head as a body part, as well as the mind or brain. When talking about a headache, it is generally expressed as '頭が痛い' (my head hurts).
Reading: おなか
Stomach / Belly
A polite and soft way to refer to the stomach or belly. A stomachache is expressed as 'お腹が痛い', and being hungry is 'お腹が空いた'.
Reading: いたい
Painful / Hurt
The most basic adjective for physical pain. It is mainly used in the pattern '[Body Part] + が + 痛い'.
Reading: びょうき
Illness / Sickness
Refers to illness or disease itself. It can be used broadly for everything from a mild cold to a serious medical condition.
Reading: くすり
Medicine
Unlike in English where we 'take' medicine, in Japanese, you must use the verb '飲む' (to drink), not '食べる' (to eat), to sound natural.
Reading: びょういん
Hospital
Refers to hospitals and clinics of all sizes. Be careful with the long vowel sound, as it sounds similar to '美容院' (びよういん, beauty salon).
Reading: ねつ
Fever
When talking about having a high body temperature, it is usually expressed as '熱がある' (have a fever) or '熱が出る' (a fever develops).
Reading: つかれる
To get tired / Exhausted
Indicates a state of physical or mental exhaustion. When expressing that you are already tired, the past tense '疲れた' is frequently used.
Reading: だいじょうぶ
Okay / Alright
A na-adjective meaning there is no problem or no need to worry. It's also useful when checking on someone who is sick.
Practice with examples
How to decide when unsure
- When saying you take medicine, it is generally expressed as '薬を飲む' (drink medicine). Using '食べる' (eat) or '取る' (take) will sound unnatural.
- When expressing pain in a specific body part, mainly use the pattern '[Body Part] + が + 痛い'. (e.g., 頭が痛い, お腹が痛い)
- '病院' (びょういん, hospital) and '美容院' (びよういん, beauty salon) have similar pronunciations. Pay close attention to the difference between 'びょう' (byō) and 'びよ' (biyo) and the long vowel to avoid misunderstandings.
Common mistakes
Wrong example: 風邪を引いたので、薬を食べました。/Correct example: 風邪を引いたので、薬を飲みました。
In Japanese, regardless of whether the medicine is a pill or powder, the verb '飲む' (to drink) is generally used when taking it. Using '食べる' (to eat) or '取る' (to take) sounds unnatural.
Mini quiz
Which of the following is the most natural Japanese expression for 'Please take your medicine and rest well'?
One-line summary
By learning these essential body and symptom-related words for when you're sick or at the pharmacy, you'll be able to accurately convey your condition even in an emergency.
FAQ
How are '痛い' (painful) and '病気' (illness) used differently?
'痛い' is mainly used to describe physical pain felt in a specific area, like the head or stomach. On the other hand, '病気' is a noun that refers to the disease or illness itself, such as a cold or cancer.
Can I say '熱が痛い' to mean I have a fever?
No. It is natural to express the symptom of having a fever as '熱がある' (have a fever) or '熱が出る' (a fever develops).
