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Japanese for “Describing symptoms to a doctor”
You have had a fever and a sore throat since yesterday, so you visit a clinic in Japan. The doctor asks about your symptoms, and you ask how to take your medicine.
Sample dialogue
Doctor
今日は、どうしましたか。kyou wa, dou shimashita ka.
What brings you in today?
You (Patient)
昨日から熱があって、のどが痛いです。kinou kara netsu ga atte, nodo ga itai desu.
I've had a fever and a sore throat since yesterday.
Doctor
そうですか。熱は何度ぐらいありましたか。sou desu ka. netsu wa nando gurai arimashita ka.
I see. About how many degrees was your fever?
You (Patient)
38度5分ぐらいです。38do 5fun gurai desu.
About 38.5 degrees.
Doctor
せきやはなみずは出ますか。seki ya hanamizu wa demasu ka.
Do you have a cough or a runny nose?
You (Patient)
せきは少し出ますが、はなみずはあまり出ません。seki wa sukoshi demasu ga, hanamizu wa amari demasen.
I cough a little, but I don't have much of a runny nose.
Doctor
体がだるいですか。karada ga darui desu ka.
Do you feel tired or achy?
You (Patient)
はい、少しだるいです。hai, sukoshi darui desu.
Yes, I feel a little tired.
Doctor
風邪ですね。お薬を出しておきますので、食後に飲んでください。kaze desu ne. o kusuri o dashiteokimasu node, shokugo ni nondekudasai.
It's a cold. I'll prescribe some medicine, so please take it after meals.
You (Patient)
薬は一日に何回飲めばいいですか。kusuri wa ichinichi ni nankai nome ba ii desu ka.
How many times a day should I take the medicine?
Phrases you can use
昨日からきのうからkinou kara
since yesterday
Use 〜から to say when your problem started, such as 昨日から or 三日前から.
三日前から頭が痛いです。mikka mae kara atama ga itai desu.
I've had a headache since three days ago.
〜がありますga arimasu
to have (a symptom like a fever)
Use 〜があります with a symptom to explain what you have, like 熱があります.
今日は、おなかが痛いです。kyou wa, onaka ga itai desu.
Today, I have a stomachache.
〜ぐらいですgurai desu
about, approximately
Add ぐらい after a number or amount to say it's roughly that much, which is natural when describing your temperature.
十分ぐらい待ちました。juubun gurai machimashita.
I waited about ten minutes.
少しすこしsukoshi
a little, a bit
Use 少し to soften your answer when a symptom is not very strong, which doctors often hear.
少し寒いです。sukoshi samui desu.
I feel a little cold.
Casual vs polite
Casual熱がある。netsu ga aru.
Polite熱があります。netsu ga arimasu.
Use the casual form with close friends or family; use the polite form with doctors, staff, or people you don't know well.
Casualうん、ちょっとだるい。un, chotto darui.
Politeはい、少しだるいです。hai, sukoshi darui desu.
Casual 'うん' and 'ちょっと' are for friends; 'はい' and '少し' are the safe, polite answers to use with a doctor.
Casual薬、どのくらい飲めばいい？kusuri, dono kurai nome ba ii?
Polite薬は、どのくらい飲めばいいですか。kusuri wa, dono kurai nome ba ii desu ka.
Use the casual form only with close friends; with a doctor, always use the polite form with ですか.
Culture tip
At many Japanese clinics, you first fill out a 問診票 (symptom questionnaire) at the reception desk, and doctors appreciate short, clear answers. Saying ぐらい with a number, like 38度5分ぐらい, is very natural when you're not sure of the exact temperature.
Ready to say it out loud?
On Tuned you can practice this scene in 3 steps: copy the model, build it up bit by bit, then role-play with an AI partner — at your level.