N2 · 40 words

The body and health, in more detail

Organs, symptoms and check-ups: the words of health articles and the doctor’s explanation.

These are the words of a health check report, a pharmacy leaflet and a doctor explaining a result: organs, body systems, symptoms and the everyday business of looking after a body. Most are Sino-Japanese compounds, and the kanji give a lot away — 炎(えん), flame, in 炎症(えんしょう); 臓(ぞう), organ, in 腎臓(じんぞう) and 内臓(ないぞう). A few native verbs describe what the body does on its own, such as しびれる and むくむ, and these are normally written in kana.

The words

Verb (3)

衰えるto weaken; to declineVerbN2

運動(うんどう)をしないでいると、筋力(きんりょく)は少(すこ)しずつ衰(おとろ)えていく。If you do not exercise, your muscle strength gradually declines.

しびれるto go numb; to tingleVerbN2

長時間(ちょうじかん)パソコンを使(つか)っていたら、指先(ゆびさき)がしびれてきた。After hours at the computer, my fingertips started to tingle.

Usually written in kana; the kanji is 痺(しび)れる.

むくむto swell (with fluid); to get puffyVerbN2

一日中(いちにちじゅう)立(た)ち仕事(しごと)をすると、夕方(ゆうがた)には足(あし)がむくむ。If I stand all day at work, my feet are swollen by the evening.

Puffiness from fluid; swelling from an injury is 腫(は)れる.

This list belongs to The body and health — seven lists and 281 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.