Visiting a doctor or pharmacy in Japan is easier when you know the right vocabulary. This guide covers symptoms, medical terms, and pharmacy phrases.
At a Glance
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 病院 | びょういん (byouin) | Hospital |
| 診察 | しんさつ (shinsatsu) | Medical examination |
| 症状 | しょうじょう (shoujou) | Symptoms |
| 処方箋 | しょほうせん (shohousen) | Prescription |
| 薬局 | やっきょく (yakkyoku) | Pharmacy |
| 保険証 | ほけんしょう (hokenshou) | Health insurance card |
| 熱 | ねつ (netsu) | Fever |
| アレルギー | arerugi- | Allergy |
Common Symptoms
• 頭痛 (ずつう, zutsuu) — Headache | 腹痛 (ふくつう, fukutsuu) — Stomachache | 咳 (せき, seki) — Cough | 鼻水 (はなみず, hanamizu) — Runny nose | 吐き気 (はきけ, hakike) — Nausea | 目眩 (めまい, memai) — Dizziness | 体がだるい (karada ga darui) — Body feels heavy/fatigued
At the Doctor’s Office
どこが痛いですか？ — Where does it hurt?
〜が痛いです / 熱があります。 — I have pain in 〜 / I have a fever.
この薬はどのくらい飲めばいいですか？ — How much of this medicine should I take?
YukaWhat should I bring to a Japanese doctor?
ReiAlways bring your 保険証 (health insurance card). Without it, you pay full price — usually 70% more. New patients also fill out a 問診票 (もんしんひょう, monshinpyo) — a symptom questionnaire. You can usually ask for an English version at larger clinics.
YukaWhat’s the word for “it hurts” in Japanese?
Rei痛い (いたい, itai) = it hurts / painful. For ongoing pain: 〜が痛いです. To point to where: ここが痛いです (here hurts). For a sharp pain: ズキズキする. For a dull ache: 鈍痛 (どんつう, dontsuu) がある.
5 Practice Sentences
| # | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 昨日から熱と咳があります。 | I’ve had a fever and cough since yesterday. |
| 2 | この薬は一日三回、食後に飲んでください。 | Take this medicine 3 times a day after meals. |
| 3 | 保険証をお持ちですか？ | Do you have your health insurance card? |
| 4 | 頭が痛くて、少し目眩がします。 | I have a headache and feel a bit dizzy. |
| 5 | 処方箋を持って薬局に行きました。 | I went to the pharmacy with my prescription. |
Quick Quiz
1. What is 処方箋 (shohousen)? → Prescription
2. How do you say “I have a headache”? → 頭が痛いです (atama ga itai desu)
3. What should you always bring to a Japanese doctor? → 保険証 (hokensho — health insurance card)
Practice in the Comments!
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