Japanese Health Vocabulary: 70 Medical and Body Words for Emergencies
Getting sick in a foreign country is stressful enough without a language barrier. In Japan, even in major cities, many clinics have limited English-speaking staff. Knowing how to describe your symptoms, understand what a doctor is asking, and navigate basic paperwork can make an enormous difference. This guide gives you 70 essential Japanese health and medical words organized by category, plus key phrases you can use immediately at a clinic or in an emergency.
Emergency reminder: ambulance in Japan is 119. Police is 110. These are different from the English-speaking world.
Symptoms
The pattern for describing pain in Japanese is [body part] が痛いです (〜がいたいです). For conditions without clear pain location, use the noun form of the symptom + があります or + がします.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Example phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 頭痛 | ずつう | headache | 頭痛がします |
| 発熱 | はつねつ | fever | 熱があります (ねつがあります) |
| 咳 | せき | cough | 咳が出ます (せきがでます) |
| 鼻水 | はなみず | runny nose | 鼻水が出ます |
| 喉が痛い | のどがいたい | sore throat | 喉が痛いです |
| 腹痛 | ふくつう | stomachache | お腹が痛いです (おなかがいたいです) |
| 吐き気 | はきけ | nausea | 吐き気がします |
| めまい | めまい | dizziness | めまいがします |
| 下痢 | げり | diarrhea | 下痢をしています |
| 便秘 | べんぴ | constipation | 便秘気味です (べんぴぎみです) |
| かゆい | かゆい | itchy | 腕がかゆいです (うでがかゆいです) |
| 発疹 | はっしん | rash | 発疹が出ています |
| 倦怠感 | けんたいかん | fatigue / malaise | 倦怠感があります |
| 息切れ | いきぎれ | shortness of breath | 息切れがします |
Body Parts Used in Medical Contexts
Doctors will ask you to point to where it hurts. Knowing body part vocabulary lets you be precise and get better treatment.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 頭 | あたま | head | 目 | め | eye |
| 首 | くび | neck | 耳 | みみ | ear |
| 肩 | かた | shoulder | 鼻 | はな | nose |
| 胸 | むね | chest | 口 | くち | mouth |
| 腹 | はら / おなか | abdomen / belly | 喉 | のど | throat |
| 背中 | せなか | back | 皮膚 | ひふ | skin |
| 腰 | こし | lower back / waist | 爪 | つめ | fingernail / toenail |
| 膝 | ひざ | knee | 指 | ゆび | finger / toe |
| 足首 | あしくび | ankle | 手首 | てくび | wrist |
Medical Facilities and People
| Japanese | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 病院 | びょういん | hospital | Full inpatient hospital (20+ beds) |
| クリニック / 診療所 | しんりょうじょ | clinic | Outpatient clinic — faster for routine symptoms |
| 薬局 | やっきょく | pharmacy | Separate from the clinic; fill prescriptions here |
| 医者 / お医者さん | いしゃ / おいしゃさん | doctor | お医者さん is more polite |
| 看護師 | かんごし | nurse | Gender-neutral term (replaced 看護婦) |
| 救急車 | きゅうきゅうしゃ | ambulance | Call 119 to request one |
| 受付 | うけつけ | reception / front desk | Where you register when arriving at a clinic |
Medicines and Treatments
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 薬 | くすり | medicine / medication |
| 処方箋 | しょほうせん | prescription |
| 注射 | ちゅうしゃ | injection / shot |
| 手術 | しゅじゅつ | surgery / operation |
| レントゲン | れんとげん | X-ray |
| 血液検査 | けつえきけんさ | blood test |
| 点滴 | てんてき | IV drip |
| 包帯 | ほうたい | bandage |
| 湿布 | しっぷ | pain relief patch / compress |
| 消毒 | しょうどく | disinfection / antiseptic |
Insurance and Administrative Words
| Japanese | Reading | English | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 健康保険 | けんこうほけん | health insurance | Japan's national health system |
| 保険証 | ほけんしょう | insurance card | Bring this every visit — reduces cost to 30% |
| 診察券 | しんさつけん | patient card | Issued by the clinic on first visit — keep it |
| 受付票 | うけつけひょう | registration form | Fill out at reception with symptoms and contact info |
| 領収書 | りょうしゅうしょ | receipt | Keep for insurance reimbursement claims |
Key Phrases at the Clinic
These are the sentences that will carry you through a typical clinic visit:
- 〜が痛いです — [body part] hurts. Example: お腹が痛いです (My stomach hurts).
- 昨日から〜が続いています — [symptom] has been going on since yesterday. Example: 昨日から熱が続いています (I've had a fever since yesterday).
- アレルギーがあります — I have an allergy. Add the allergen: 卵アレルギーがあります (egg allergy).
- 薬を飲んでいます — I am taking medicine. If relevant: 血圧の薬を飲んでいます (I take blood pressure medication).
- 日本語があまり上手じゃないです — My Japanese is not very good. Many clinics will then try to find an English speaker or use a translation app.
- どのくらいで治りますか？ — How long will it take to get better?
- この薬はどう飲むんですか？ — How should I take this medicine?
Emergency Phrases
Memorize these before your trip:
- 救急車を呼んでください (きゅうきゅうしゃをよんでください) — Please call an ambulance.
- 助けてください (たすけてください) — Please help me.
- 緊急です (きんきゅうです) — It is an emergency.
- 〜にアレルギーがあります — I am allergic to [substance]. Critical for anaphylaxis situations.
- 意識がありません (いしきがありません) — [They] are unconscious. Use when describing someone else's condition to emergency services.
- 胸が痛いです (むねがいたいです) — I have chest pain. Triggers heart attack protocol.
Common Mistakes with Medical Japanese
- 痛い vs 痛む: 痛い (いたい) is an adjective — "it is painful." 痛む (いたむ) is a verb — "it aches/throbs." Both are correct but 痛い is more common in speech: 背中が痛いです vs the more clinical 背中が痛んでいます.
- 薬 vs 薬品: 薬 (くすり) is the everyday word for medicine you take. 薬品 (やくひん) refers to chemical substances or pharmaceutical compounds in a technical or industrial sense. At a pharmacy, always say 薬.
- 병院 confusion with Korean speakers: The kanji 病院 looks similar to Korean 병원 — both mean hospital and derive from the same Chinese characters. The Japanese reading is びょういん, not the Korean pronunciation.
- Using 大丈夫 to decline help: When a nurse asks "大丈夫ですか？" (Are you okay?), saying 大丈夫です (I'm fine) to be polite when you are not is a common mistake. Be direct about your condition — Japanese medical staff expect honest answers.
Practice writing out your symptoms in Japanese before travel with ZISTICA MOJIIQ's free grammar checker — paste your symptom descriptions and get instant corrections.
Frequently asked questions
How do I say "I have a headache" in Japanese?
Say 頭が痛いです (あたまがいたいです). You can also say 頭痛がします (ずつうがします). The pattern [body part] が痛いです works for most pains: 喉が痛いです (sore throat), お腹が痛いです (stomachache).
How do I call an ambulance in Japan?
Call 119 for an ambulance (救急車, きゅうきゅうしゃ) in Japan. 110 is for the police. When connected, say 救急車をお願いします — "Please send an ambulance." Then give your address.
What is a 保険証 and why do I need it at a Japanese clinic?
保険証 (ほけんしょう) is your health insurance card. Showing your card at a clinic reduces your payment to 30% of the total cost. Without it, you pay 100%. Residents must enroll in national health insurance (国民健康保険) or company insurance (社会保険).
How do I say I have a food allergy in Japanese?
〜アレルギーがあります is the standard form. Examples: 卵アレルギーがあります (I have an egg allergy), ピーナッツアレルギーがあります (peanut allergy). For severe allergies, add 重篤なアレルギーです (I have a severe allergy).
What is the difference between 病院 and クリニック in Japan?
病院 (びょういん) is a full hospital with inpatient beds. クリニック is a smaller outpatient clinic. For routine symptoms, go to a クリニック — shorter waits and more personal care. Go to a 病院 for emergencies or specialist referrals.