Japanese Situational Phrases: Hospital, Pharmacy, and Health

Health Phrases Are High Priority

When you’re unwell abroad, language barriers become critical. Knowing the right Japanese phrases for describing symptoms, visiting a clinic, and using a pharmacy can make a genuine difference. These phrases are practical, high-priority vocabulary for any Japan traveler or resident.

Describing Symptoms

At the Clinic

Registration:

「しんさつをおねがいします。」— I’d like to be seen by a doctor.
「はじめてです。」— This is my first visit.
「ほけんしょうをもっています。」— I have health insurance.

During the examination:

「いつからですか。」— Since when? (doctor asking)
「きのうから です。」— Since yesterday.
「〜にアレルギーがあります。」— I have an allergy to ~.
「ふだんのむくすりはありますか。」— Do you take any regular medication?

At the Pharmacy

Emergency Phrases

• 「きゅうきゅうしゃをよんでください。」— Please call an ambulance.
• 「たすけてください！」— Help me!
• 「ここがいたいです。」— It hurts here. (point to location)
• 「いしゃを よんでください。」— Please call a doctor.

Yuka & Rei at the Clinic

Here is how these phrases sound in a real exchange. Notice how naturally the expressions flow — and how the conversation stays polite even when things get complicated.

Yuka

Rei, I’m not feeling well today. My head hurts and I have a slight fever. How do I describe this if I go to a clinic in Japan?

Rei

First, tell reception: たいちょうがわるくて… — ‘I’m not feeling well.’ Then describe your symptoms: あたまがいたいです (headache) and すこしねつがあります (slight fever).

Yuka

And at the pharmacy? I want to ask for something for a cold.

Rei

Say: かぜのくすりをください。 — ‘Please give me cold medicine.’ If you need something specific like cough syrup: せきのくすりはありますか？ — ‘Do you have cough medicine?’

Yuka

What if a doctor asks ‘does it hurt here?’ and I’m not sure how to answer in Japanese?

Rei

Simple answers: はい、そこがいたいです — ‘Yes, that’s where it hurts.’ Or あまりいたくありません — ‘It doesn’t hurt very much.’ Pointing and nodding is also perfectly acceptable — doctors are used to non-native speakers.

5 Practice Sentences — Read These Aloud

Reading aloud forces your brain to process the phrase as sound, not just text. Do it five times for each sentence.

1. たいちょうがわるいので、びょういんにいきたいです。
   I’m not feeling well, so I want to go to the hospital.
2. おなかがいたくて、ねつもあります。
   I have a stomachache and a fever too.
3. このくすりをいちにちなんかいのみますか？
   How many times a day should I take this medicine?
4. アレルギーはありません。
   I don’t have any allergies.
5. ここがいたいです。ずっといたいです。
   It hurts here. It’s been hurting for a while.

Your Turn! Leave Your Example in the Comments

The fastest way to make new phrases stick is to use them yourself. Pick one or two expressions from this article and write a sentence — or even a short conversation — based on your own life.

Drop your answer in the comments below. Other learners will read it, and seeing real examples from fellow students is one of the most motivating parts of learning a language. If you log in, your past comments stay on your profile — and our most active commenters appear in the Top Commenters list in the sidebar!

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