N4 · 40 words

At the doctor's

Symptoms, injuries, going into hospital and what the doctor says.

This page explains vocabulary and is not medical advice. In Japan you usually go straight to a clinic for one field — 内科(ないか)for illness外科(げか)for injuries — rather than to a family doctor first The sentence to know is 具合(ぐあい)が悪(わる)いです, "I am not well", and the one you will hear on the way out is お大事(だいじ)に. Symptoms are often things that "come out": 熱(ねつ)が出(で)る, 咳(せき)が出(で)る.

The words

Verb (6)

吐(は)くto vomit; to be sickVerbN4

子供(こども)が夜中(よなか)に二回(にかい)吐(は)きました。The child was sick twice in the night.

Also simply "to breathe out": 息(いき)を吐(は)く.

痛(いた)むto ache; to hurtVerbN3

雨(あめ)の日(ひ)は膝(ひざ)が痛(いた)みます。My knee aches on rainy days.

治(なお)すto cure; to get over (an illness)VerbN3

早(はや)く風邪(かぜ)を治(なお)して、学校(がっこう)に行(い)きたいです。I want to get over my cold quickly and go back to school.

Transitive; when the illness gets better by itself, it 治(なお)る.

倒(たお)れるto collapse; to fall overVerbN4

暑(あつ)い日(ひ)に、駅(えき)で人(ひと)が倒(たお)れました。On a hot day, someone collapsed at the station.

腫(は)れるto swellVerbN3

虫(むし)に刺(さ)されて、手(て)が腫(は)れました。An insect stung me and my hand swelled up.

Sounds like 晴(は)れる, "to clear up", but is a different word.

診(み)るto examine (a patient)VerbN3

先生(せんせい)に喉(のど)を診(み)てもらいました。The doctor examined my throat.

Read like 見(み)る, but used of a doctor examining someone.

Noun (32)

熱(ねつ)fever; temperatureNounN4

昨日(きのう)から熱(ねつ)があります。I have had a temperature since yesterday.

咳(せき)coughNounN4

夜(よる)になると咳(せき)が出(で)ます。I start coughing at night.

Also written in kana: せき.

怪我(けが)injuryNounN4

サッカーで足(あし)に怪我(けが)をしました。I hurt my leg playing football.

Often written in kana: けが.

入院(にゅういん)going into hospitalNounN4

祖母(そぼ)は今(いま)、入院(にゅういん)しています。My grandmother is in hospital at the moment.

Also a verb: 入院(にゅういん)する.

退院(たいいん)leaving hospitalNounN4

父(ちち)は来週(らいしゅう)退院(たいいん)できるそうです。Apparently my father can leave hospital next week.

Also a verb: 退院(たいいん)する.

注射(ちゅうしゃ)injectionNounN4

子供(こども)のころ、注射(ちゅうしゃ)が怖(こわ)かったです。As a child I was afraid of injections.

診察(しんさつ)consultation; medical examinationNounN3

診察(しんさつ)は午前(ごぜん)9時(じ)からです。Consultations start at nine in the morning.

くしゃみsneezeNounN4

春(はる)になると、くしゃみが止(と)まりません。In spring I cannot stop sneezing.

鼻水(はなみず)runny noseNounN4

風邪(かぜ)で鼻水(はなみず)が出(で)ます。I have a runny nose from my cold.

吐(は)き気(け)nausea; feeling sickNounN3

朝(あさ)から吐(は)き気(け)がします。I have felt sick since this morning.

頭痛(ずつう)headacheNounN4

頭痛(ずつう)がひどいので、薬(くすり)を飲(の)みました。I had a bad headache, so I took some medicine.

下痢(げり)diarrhoeaNounN3

冷(つめ)たいものを飲(の)みすぎて、下痢(げり)になりました。I drank too many cold things and got diarrhoea.

骨折(こっせつ)broken bone; fractureNounN3

転(ころ)んで腕(うで)を骨折(こっせつ)しました。I fell and broke my arm.

Also a verb: 骨折(こっせつ)する.

やけどburnNounN3

熱(あつ)いお茶(ちゃ)で指(ゆび)にやけどをしました。I burned my finger on hot tea.

Also written 火傷(やけど).

寒気(さむけ)chill; shiversNounN4

熱(ねつ)が出(で)る前(まえ)に、寒気(さむけ)がしました。Before the fever came on, I had the shivers.

Not the cold weather, which is 寒(さむ)さ, but the chill you feel when ill.

保険証(ほけんしょう)health insurance cardNounN4

受付(うけつけ)で保険証(ほけんしょう)を見(み)せてください。Please show your health insurance card at reception.

体温(たいおん)body temperatureNounN4

毎朝(まいあさ)体温(たいおん)を測(はか)っています。I take my temperature every morning.

体温計(たいおんけい)thermometer (for the body)NounN4

体温計(たいおんけい)はどこにありますか。Where is the thermometer?

眼科(がんか)eye clinic; ophthalmologyNounN3

目(め)が赤(あか)くなったので、眼科(がんか)に行(い)きました。My eye went red, so I went to an eye clinic.

歯医者(はいしゃ)dentistNounN4

歯(は)が痛(いた)いので、歯医者(はいしゃ)に行(い)きます。My tooth hurts, so I am going to the dentist.

Means both the dentist and the dental surgery.

内科(ないか)internal medicine (clinic)NounN3

熱(ねつ)があるなら、内科(ないか)に行(い)ってください。If you have a temperature, go to an internal medicine clinic.

外科(げか)surgery (department); surgical clinicNounN3

怪我(けが)をしたので、外科(げか)で診(み)てもらいました。I was injured, so I was seen at a surgical clinic.

塗(ぬ)り薬(ぐすり)ointment; cream (medicine)NounN4

この塗(ぬ)り薬(ぐすり)を一日(いちにち)二回(にかい)つけてください。Apply this cream twice a day.

Medicine you put on; medicine you swallow is 飲(の)み薬(ぐすり).

救急車(きゅうきゅうしゃ)ambulanceNounN4

友達(ともだち)が倒(たお)れたので、救急車(きゅうきゅうしゃ)を呼(よ)びました。My friend collapsed, so I called an ambulance.

In Japan the number for an ambulance and the fire brigade is 119.

アレルギーallergyNounN3

私(わたし)は卵(たまご)のアレルギーがあります。I am allergic to eggs.

インフルエンザflu; influenzaNounN4

インフルエンザで一週間(いっしゅうかん)学校(がっこう)を休(やす)みました。I missed a week of school with flu.

食欲(しょくよく)appetiteNounN4

風邪(かぜ)で食欲(しょくよく)がありません。I have no appetite because of my cold.

痛(いた)みpainNounN4

痛(いた)みが強(つよ)いときは、この薬(くすり)を飲(の)んでください。Take this medicine when the pain is bad.

傷(きず)wound; cut; scratchNounN4

傷(きず)はもう痛(いた)くありません。The cut does not hurt any more.

包帯(ほうたい)bandageNounN3

看護師(かんごし)さんが足(あし)に包帯(ほうたい)を巻(ま)いてくれました。The nurse wrapped a bandage round my leg.

めまいdizzinessNounN3

急(きゅう)に立(た)ったら、めまいがしました。I felt dizzy when I stood up suddenly.

Used with がする: めまいがする, "to feel dizzy".

飲(の)み薬(ぐすり)oral medicineNounN4

飲(の)み薬(ぐすり)は食後(しょくご)に飲(の)んでください。Take the medicine after meals.

Medicine is "drunk" in Japanese, even as a tablet: 薬(くすり)を飲(の)む.

i-adjective (2)

だるいsluggish; heavy (of the body)i-adjectiveN3

熱(ねつ)はありませんが、体(からだ)がだるいです。I have no temperature, but my whole body feels heavy.

苦(くる)しいpainful; hard to bear; tight (breathing)i-adjectiveN4

胸(むね)が苦(くる)しくて、息(いき)がうまくできません。My chest feels tight and I cannot breathe properly.

This list belongs to 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.