Describing symptoms

❃ Describing symptoms

熱があります。 [ Netsu ga arimasu ]: I have a fever.
頭が痛いです。 [ Atama ga itai desu. ]: I have a headache.
胸が痛いです。 [ Mune ga itai desu. ]: I have chest pain.
お腹が痛いです。 [ Onaka ga itai desu. ]: I have a stomachache.
喉が痛いです。 [ Nodo ga itai desu. ]: My throat hurts.
めまいがします。 [ Samuke ga shimasu. ]: I feel dizzy.
体がだるいです。 [ Karada ga darui desu. ]: I feel sluggish/weak.
吐き気がします。 [ Hakike ga shimasu. ]: I feel nauseous.
下痢をしています。 [ Geri o shite imasu. ]: I have diarrhea.
便秘です。 [ Benpi desu. ]: I am constipated.
咳が出ます。 [ Seki ga demasu. ]: I have a cough.
鼻が詰まっています。 [ Hana ga tsumatte imasu. ]: My nose is stuffy.
鼻水が出ます。 [ Hanamizu ga demasu. ]: I have a runny nose.
アレルギーがあります。 [ Arerugī ga arimasu. ]: I have an allergy.
かゆみがあります。 [ Kayumi ga arimasu. ]: I have itching.
発疹があります。 [ Hasshin ga arimasu. ]: I have a rash.
三十八度の熱があります。 [ Sanjūhachido no netsu ga arimasu. ]: I have a fever of 38 degrees.
寒気がします。 [ Samuke ga shimasu. ]: I have chills.
咳が止まりません。 [ Seki ga tomarimasen. ]: I can't stop coughing.
くしゃみが出ます。 [ Kushami ga demasu. ]: I am sneezing.
吐きました。 [ Hakimashita. ]: I vomited.
動悸がします。 [ Douki ga shimasu. ]: I have palpitations.
息苦しいです。 [ Ikigurushii desu. ]: I am short of breath.
食欲がありません。 [ Shokuyoku ga arimasen. ]: I have no appetite.
よく眠れません。 [ Yoku nemuremasen. ]: I can't sleep well.
肌が痒いです。 [ Hada ga kayui desu. ]: My skin is itchy.
発疹が出ました。 [ Hosshin ga demashita. ]: I got a rash.
血が出ました。 [ Chi ga demashita. ]: I am bleeding.
火傷をしました。 [ Yakedo o shimashita. ]: I burned myself.
虫に刺されました。 [ Mushi ni sasaremashita. ]: I was bitten by an insect.
昨日から症状があります。 [ Kinou kara shoujou ga arimasu. ]: I've had symptoms since yesterday.
夜になると悪化します。 [ Yoru ni naru to akka shimasu. ]: It gets worse at night.

Cultural notes

Describing symptoms accurately to a Japanese doctor involves understanding certain cultural sensitivities regarding illness. In Japan, public health is viewed as a collective responsibility. Long before the global pandemic, wearing surgical masks in public was an everyday courtesy at the slightest sign of a cough, "Seki" (咳), or a runny nose, "Hanamizu" (鼻水). If you visit a clinic with a persistent cough ("Seki ga tomarimasen" - 咳が止まりません), you will be immediately handed a mask at the reception and expected to wear it. The most strictly monitored symptom in Japan is a fever, or "Netsu" (熱). Japanese clinics use Celsius, and there is a very rigid cultural and medical threshold regarding body temperature: 37.5°C. Anything below this is generally considered a mild cold, but if you declare "Sanjūhachido no netsu ga arimasu" (三十八度の熱があります - I have a fever of 38 degrees), you will often be isolated in a separate waiting area to protect other patients from potential influenza or other contagious viruses. Furthermore, Japanese doctors rely heavily on direct verbal descriptions of bodily functions, so do not feel embarrassed to be explicit. If you have stomach issues, clearly stating "Hakike ga shimasu" (吐き気がします - I feel nauseous) or "Geri o shite imasu" (下痢をしています - I have diarrhea) is crucial for an accurate diagnosis. Unlike some Western doctors who might prescribe antibiotics for a general cold, Japanese doctors tend to prescribe highly targeted symptom-relief medications (one pill for the cough, one for the runny nose, one for the stomach). Thus, providing a highly detailed list of every single symptom, rather than just saying "I feel sick," ensures you get the exact combination of medicines you need to recover.

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