Be Prepared: Essential Phrases for Medical Emergencies

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During your travels, you might get injured, or if you’ve just started living in Japan, you may feel unwell while adjusting to your new environment… Can you explain your condition smoothly at a Japanese hospital?

While some hospitals in Japan are starting to offer support in English, Chinese, and other languages, there’s still room for improvement. In this article, we introduce useful Japanese phrases you can use when visiting a hospital.

Visiting a Medical Facility in Japan

Things to Check Before Your Visit

1. What to Bring
・保険証 (hokensho) ーHealth insurance card
・お金 (okane) ーCash
　Please note that some facilities don’t accept credit cards or digital payment.
・在留カード (zairyū kādo) ーResidence card
　 If you have a My Number Card, please bring it with you; otherwise, bring your passport.

2. When You Have a Fever
If you have a fever higher than 37.5°C, make sure to call the medical facility before visiting.

3. Major Specialties
If you’re not sure which department to go to, here are some of the main specialties:
・内科 (naika) ーInternal medicine
　Stomachache, headache, cold, and fever

・整形外科 (seikeigeka) ーOrthopedics
　 Injury, burn, broken bone, shoulder or lower back pain, and muscle pain

・皮膚科 (hifuka) ーDermatology
　 Skin, nail, or hair problems; hives, redness, and itching

・小児科 (shōnika) ーPediatrics
　 For children from babies up to around age 15

・産婦人科 (sanfujinka) ーObstetrics and gynecology
　 Pregnancy, childbirth, and women’s health (such as uterine, ovarian, or menstrual issues)

・眼科 (ganka) ーOphthalmology
　 Eye-related issues

・耳鼻咽喉科 (jibiinkōka) ーENT (ear, nose, and throat)
　 Ear, nose, and throat issues, often called jibika.

Common Questions from Doctors and Nurses

Here are some questions that doctors and nurses always ask. Be prepared so you can feel more comfortable.

“患者 (kanja)” refers to a person who is ill or injured and undergoing medical care or treatment.

Example Conversation:
Doctor: どうしましたか。(Dou shimashitaka)
– What brings you here?

Patient: あたまが痛いです。(Atama ga itai desu)
– I have a headache.

Doctor: いつからですか。(Itsu kara desuka)
– Since when have you had it?

Patient: 昨日の夜からです。(Kinou no yoru kara desu)
– Since last night.

Doctor: 熱がありますか。(Netsu ga arimasu ka)
– Do you have a fever?

Patient: はい。37.5℃です。(Hai. Sanjuu-nanaten-go-do desu)
– Yes, it’s 37.5 degrees Celsius.
or
いいえ、36℃です。(Iie, sanjuu-roku-do desu)
– No, it’s 36 degrees Celsius.

Doctor: 今、他の薬を飲んでいますか。(Ima, hoka no kusuri o nonde imasu ka)
– Are you taking any other medicine now?

Patient: はい。アレルギーの薬を飲んでいます。(Hai. Arerugii no kusuri o nonde imasu)
– Yes, I’m taking allergy medicine.
or
いいえ。何も飲んでいません。(Iie. Nanimo nonde imasen)
– No, I’m not taking anything.

Describing Your Symptoms Effectively

Here are some phrases to help you explain the reason for your visit and describe where you are experiencing pain or discomfort.

〜が痛いです (〜ga itai desu) – I have pain in ～ / ～ hurts
・頭が痛いです (atama ga itai desu) – I have a headache.
Here are some major body parts:
お腹 (onaka) – stomach
歯 (ha) – tooth
目 (me) – eye
のど (nodo) – throat
耳 (mimi) – ear
首 (kubi) – neck
肩 (kata) – shoulder
手 (te) – hand
手首 (tekubi) – wrist
足 (ashi) – leg / foot
腰 (koshi) – lower back

熱があります (netsu ga arimasu) – I have a fever.

～がでます (～ga demasu) – Something comes out / appears
・鼻水が出ます (hanamizu ga demasu) – I have a runny nose.
・咳が出ます (seki ga demasu) – I have a cough.
・くしゃみが出ます (kushami ga demasu) – I am sneezing.
・声が出ません (koe ga demasen) – I cannot speak / I have lost my voice.

～です (～desu) – I have ～ / It is ～
・下痢です (geri desu) – I have diarrhea.
・便秘です (benpi desu) – I have constipation.
・生理です (seiri desu) – I am on my period.
・気持ちが悪いです (kimochi ga warui desu) – I feel nauseous / I feel sick.
・だるいです (darui desu) – I feel sluggish / I feel fatigued.

Others
・食欲がないです (shokuyoku ga nai desu) – I have no appetite.
・吐き気がします (hakike ga shimasu) – I feel nauseous.
・寒気がします (samuke ga shimasu) – I feel chilly.
・めまいがします (memai ga shimasu) – I feel dizzy.
・怪我をしました (kega o shimashita) – I got injured.
・火傷をしました (yakedo o shimashita) – I got burned.

Phrases for Medical Examinations and Treatment

Here are phrases used when receiving 検査 (kensa – medical examination) and 治療 (chiryo – treatment):
・注射 (chusha) – injection
・点滴 (tenteki) – IV drip
・採血 (saiketsu) – blood test / blood draw
・血圧を測る (ketsuatsu wo hakaru) – to take blood pressure
・Ｘ線を撮る／レントゲンを撮る (X-sen wo toru / rentogen wo toru) – to take an X-ray
・体温を測る (taion wo hakaru) – to take body temperature
・診察する (shinsatsu suru) – to examine (a patient)

Instructions on How to Take Medication

After undergoing a medical examination, you will be issued a 処方箋 (shohosen) – prescription.
You may obtain your medication at a 調剤薬局 (chouzai yakkyoku) – pharmacy.

The phrase for “to take medicine” in Japanese is 薬を飲む (kusuri wo nomu).
Below are some common types of medication:

痛み止め (itamidome) – painkiller
This medication is used to relieve pain.

解熱剤 (genetsuzai) – fever reducer
This medication is used to reduce fever or high body temperature.

There are some common terms found on prescriptions. If you do not understand how to take your medication, please consult the 薬剤師 (yakuzaishi) – pharmacist.

・食前 (shokuzenn) – before meals
Take the medication before meals.

・食後 (shokugo) – after meals
Take the medication after eating.

・食間 (shokkan) – between meals
Take the medication between meals.

・1日3回 (ichinichi sankai) – three times a day
Take the medication three times daily.

・1回一錠 (ikkai ichijou) – one pill at a time
Take one pill at a time.

Recommended Websites and Resources

Visiting a hospital or receiving medical treatment in a foreign country can be challenging. Below are three useful websites to assist you when you need to visit a hospital or call an ambulance.

1. This resource is specifically designed for situations where you are unsure where to go when you are sick or injured, or when you wish to ask medical-related questions while traveling in Japan. It is available in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, and Korean. We highly recommend bookmarking this site before your visit.

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
– “For Safe Travels in Japan: A Guide for When You Are Feeling Ill”
https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/jpn/mi_guide.html

2. This website is particularly useful in helping you respond to questions typically asked by nurses, which you are likely to encounter during a medical visit. It is available in 23 different languages.

NPO Hearty Konandai for International Exchange / Kanagawa International Foundation
– “Multilingual Medical Questionnaire”
https://kifjp.org/medical/

3. This site provides guidance on how to call an ambulance and includes additional relevant information. It offers multilingual support for speakers of 16 different languages.

Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA)
– “Guide to Ambulance Services”
https://www.fdma.go.jp/publication/portal/post1.html

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Article author

Started working as a Japanese language teacher in 2001. I continue to teach Japanese because it makes me happy to see the smiles on learners' faces when they say, "I get it. I am so happy to see the smiles on the students' faces when they say, "I understand. She has been teaching mainly at Japanese language schools, from beginner to advanced level, as well as JLPT and EJU preparation, college guidance, and classroom teaching. She is currently interested in Japanese language for foreign workers, Japanese language for foreigners living in Japan, and Japanese language for the community, which she puts into practice in her daily work. She completed a training course for beginning teachers of Japanese for workers commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2003, and is currently attending a training course for beginning teachers of Japanese for "foreigners as consumers" in 2023.

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