Japanese Health Kanji: Learn Medical & Body Words in Japanese
Master Japanese health kanji: 病 (illness), 薬 (medicine), 医 (doctor), 痛 (pain), 熱 (fever), 血 (blood), 心 (heart), 歯 (tooth), and more. Each entry includes readings, example sentences, and practical context for travelers and students in Japan.
Japanese Health Kanji at a Glance
Healthcare in Japan
Japan has one of the world's best healthcare systems. Understanding health kanji is essential for reading signs at 病院 (byouin/hospital), buying 薬 (kusuri/medicine) at pharmacies, and communicating symptoms to 医者 (isha/doctors).
Practical for Travelers
If you visit Japan, knowing health kanji can be lifesaving. Pharmacy signs use 薬 (medicine), hospital signs use 病院, and symptoms like 痛い (itai/painful) and 熱 (netsu/fever) are essential for getting help.
JLPT Relevance
Core health kanji like 病 (illness), 薬 (medicine), and 体 (body) appear at JLPT N4-N3. Medical terms like 医 (doctor), 血 (blood), and 歯 (tooth) are common at N3-N2 levels and appear in daily life contexts.
Core Japanese Health & Medical Kanji
These twenty kanji cover essential health vocabulary, from illnesses and symptoms to treatments and body parts.
| Meaning | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illness | 病 | びょう | byou | N4 |
| Medicine | 薬 | くすり | kusuri | N4 |
| Doctor | 医 | い | i | N4 |
| Pain | 痛 | いたい | itai | N3 |
| Fever / Heat | 熱 | ねつ | netsu | N3 |
| Blood | 血 | ち | chi | N3 |
| Heart / Mind | 心 | こころ | kokoro | N4 |
| Tooth | 歯 | は | ha | N3 |
| Bone | 骨 | ほね | hone | N2 |
| Symptom | 症 | しょう | shou | N2 |
| Cure / Heal | 治 | なおす | naosu | N3 |
| Treatment | 療 | りょう | ryou | N2 |
| Healthy | 健 | けん | ken | N3 |
| Peace / Ease | 康 | こう | kou | N3 |
| Examine | 診 | しん | shin | N2 |
| Breath / Rest | 息 | いき | iki | N3 |
| Fatigue | 疲 | つかれ | tsukare | N3 |
| Wound / Injury | 傷 | きず | kizu | N2 |
| Vitality | 元 | げん | gen | N4 |
| Nurse | 護 | ご | go | N2 |
All Japanese Health Kanji Explained
Explore each health kanji with its readings, origin story, and example sentences used in everyday Japanese.
Example:
病気で学校を休みました。
Byouki de gakkou wo yasumimashita.
I was absent from school due to illness.
Example:
薬を飲んでください。
Kusuri wo nonde kudasai.
Please take the medicine.
Example:
医者に診てもらいました。
Isha ni mite moraimashita.
I had a doctor examine me.
Example:
頭が痛いです。
Atama ga itai desu.
I have a headache.
Example:
熱が三十八度あります。
Netsu ga sanjuuhachi do arimasu.
I have a fever of 38 degrees.
Example:
血液検査を受けました。
Ketsueki kensa wo ukemashita.
I had a blood test.
Example:
心配しないでください。
Shinpai shinaide kudasai.
Please don't worry.
Example:
歯が痛いので歯医者に行きます。
Ha ga itai node haisha ni ikimasu.
My tooth hurts so I'm going to the dentist.
Example:
骨を折ってしまいました。
Hone wo otte shimaimashita.
I broke a bone.
Example:
どんな症状がありますか?
Donna shoujou ga arimasu ka?
What symptoms do you have?
Example:
風邪が治りました。
Kaze ga naorimashita.
My cold has been cured.
Example:
治療には時間がかかります。
Chiryou ni wa jikan ga kakarimasu.
Treatment takes time.
Example:
健康のために運動しています。
Kenkou no tame ni undou shite imasu.
I exercise for my health.
Example:
健康が一番大切です。
Kenkou ga ichiban taisetsu desu.
Health is the most important thing.
Example:
診察の予約をお願いします。
Shinsatsu no yoyaku wo onegai shimasu.
I'd like to make an appointment for an examination.
Example:
深く息を吸ってください。
Fukaku iki wo sutte kudasai.
Please take a deep breath.
Example:
今日はとても疲れました。
Kyou wa totemo tsukaremashita.
I'm very tired today.
Example:
傷の手当てをしました。
Kizu no teate wo shimashita.
I treated the wound.
Example:
元気ですか?
Genki desu ka?
How are you? (Are you well?)
Example:
看護師さんがとても親切でした。
Kangoshi-san ga totemo shinsetsu deshita.
The nurse was very kind.
Japanese Health Kanji by Category
Japanese health vocabulary spans symptoms, treatments, body parts, and medical facilities. Understanding these categories helps you navigate healthcare situations in Japan.
The foundation of health communication: 病 (illness), 痛 (pain), 熱 (fever), and 症 (symptom). These kanji are essential for describing how you feel to a doctor or pharmacist in Japan.
Treatment kanji cover healing and medicine: 薬 (medicine), 医 (doctor), 治 (cure), and 療 (treatment). These appear on pharmacy signs, medicine labels, and hospital departments throughout Japan.
Body-related kanji are used constantly in medical contexts: 心 (heart), 血 (blood), 歯 (tooth), and 骨 (bone). Many of these contain the 月 (flesh/body) radical, a key clue for identifying body-related kanji.
Wellness kanji focus on positive health: 健 (healthy), 康 (peace/ease), 元 (origin/vitality), and 息 (breath/rest). Japan's culture of 健康 (kenkou/health) extends from hot springs to balanced diets.
Essential Phrases at a Japanese Hospital
If you ever need medical help in Japan, these phrases using health kanji will help you communicate with doctors and nurses.
| Situation | Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Describing pain | 頭が痛いです | atama ga itai desu | I have a headache |
| Having a fever | 熱があります | netsu ga arimasu | I have a fever |
| Asking for medicine | 薬をください | kusuri wo kudasai | Please give me medicine |
| Going to hospital | 病院に行きたいです | byouin ni ikitai desu | I want to go to the hospital |
| Feeling sick | 気分が悪いです | kibun ga warui desu | I feel sick |
| Allergy info | アレルギーがあります | arerugii ga arimasu | I have allergies |
| Emergency | 救急車を呼んでください | kyuukyuusha wo yonde kudasai | Please call an ambulance |
| Stomach pain | お腹が痛いです | onaka ga itai desu | I have a stomach ache |
Health-Related Compound Words (Jukugo)
These compound words combine health kanji to create essential vocabulary for talking about medicine, hospitals, and wellness in Japanese.
| Compound | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 病院 | byouin | Hospital (illness + institution) |
| 病気 | byouki | Illness/sickness (illness + spirit) |
| 医者 | isha | Doctor (medicine + person) |
| 薬局 | yakkyoku | Pharmacy (medicine + bureau) |
| 健康 | kenkou | Health (healthy + ease) |
| 治療 | chiryou | Medical treatment (cure + treatment) |
| 診察 | shinsatsu | Medical examination (examine + inspect) |
| 症状 | shoujou | Symptoms (symptom + condition) |
| 看護師 | kangoshi | Nurse (watch + protect + master) |
| 血液 | ketsueki | Blood (blood + fluid) |
| 歯医者 | haisha | Dentist (tooth + doctor) |
| 元気 | genki | Healthy/energetic (vitality + spirit) |
Tips for Remembering Japanese Health Kanji
The Illness Radical (疒)
The radical 疒 (yamaihidare/sickness radical) appears in many health kanji: 病 (illness), 痛 (pain), 症 (symptom), and 療 (treatment). When you see this radical wrapping around the top-left of a kanji, it almost always relates to sickness or medical conditions.
The Body Radical (月/肉)
The radical 月 in body-related kanji actually comes from 肉 (meat/flesh), not 月 (moon). You'll find it in 骨 (bone), and many other body parts. This "flesh moon" radical is one of the most useful patterns for identifying body and health kanji.
Visit a Japanese Pharmacy
Japanese drugstores (薬局/yakkyoku) are treasure troves of health kanji. Medicine labels use 薬 (medicine), 痛 (pain), and 熱 (fever). Reading product packaging is excellent real-world practice for health vocabulary.
Collect Health Cards
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hospital in Japanese?
Hospital in Japanese is 病院 (byouin). It combines 病 (byou = illness) and 院 (in = institution), literally meaning "illness institution." Japanese hospitals range from large 総合病院 (sougou byouin, general hospitals) to small 診療所 (shinryoujo, clinics). You can also visit a 薬局 (yakkyoku, pharmacy) for over-the-counter medicine.
What kanji should I know for visiting a doctor in Japan?
Essential kanji for medical visits: 病 (illness), 医 (doctor), 薬 (medicine), 痛 (pain), 熱 (fever), 診 (examine), and 症 (symptom). Key phrases include 痛いです (itai desu, it hurts), 熱があります (netsu ga arimasu, I have a fever), and 薬をください (kusuri wo kudasai, please give me medicine). Many hospitals have multilingual support, but knowing these kanji helps tremendously.
What is the sickness radical in Japanese kanji?
The sickness radical is 疒 (yamaihidare), which looks like a roof with two diagonal strokes. It appears in health kanji like 病 (illness), 痛 (pain), 症 (symptom), 療 (treatment), and 疲 (fatigue). When you spot this radical wrapping around the top-left of any kanji, it almost always indicates a connection to illness, disease, or medical conditions. It's one of the most reliable radicals for guessing meaning.
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