How to Talk About Health in Japanese - Learn

Dialogue

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Lesson Transcript

Do you know how to talk about health in Japanese?

You'll learn how in just a moment.

Hi, my name is Emiri, and this is Three Step Japanese by JapanesePod101.com.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about health through a quick conversation.

Let's look at the dialogue.

As you listen, pay attention to how they ask about the topic and how the other person responds.

はるとくん、かおいろがわるいですね｡どうしましたか｡

Haruto-kun, kaoiro ga warui desu ne. Dō shimashita ka.

あたまがいたいです｡おなかもいたいです｡

Atama ga itai desu. Onaka mo itai desu.

ねつがある？

Netsu ga aru?

わかりません｡

Wakarimasen.

じゃ、いえにかえる？

Ja, ie ni kaeru?

はい、そうします｡

Hai, sō shimasu.

Let's break it down.

はるとくん、かおいろがわるいですね｡どうしましたか｡

Haruto-kun, kaoiro ga warui desu ne. Dō shimashita ka.

Haruto, you don’t look well. What’s wrong?

あたまがいたいです｡おなかもいたいです｡

Atama ga itai desu. Onaka mo itai desu.

My head hurts. My stomach hurts too.

First is the phrase, あたまがいたいです｡ (atama ga itai desu), or "My head hurts." あたまがいたいです｡ This starts with the word, あたま (atama), meaning "head." あたま . あたま.

Next is が (ga), the subject-marking particle.

After this is いたい (itai), meaning "hurts." いたい . いたい.

Last is です (desu), a polite sentence-ending particle. です . です.

All together, it's あたまがいたいです｡ (atama ga itai desu). "My head hurts." あたまがいたいです｡

Next is the phrase, おなかもいたいです｡ (onaka mo itai desu), or "My stomach also hurts." おなかもいたいです｡ This starts with the word, おなか (onaka), meaning "stomach." おなか . おなか.

Next is も (mo), the particle indicating "also."

After this is いたい (itai), meaning "hurts." いたい . いたい.

Last is です (desu), a polite sentence-ending particle. です . です.

All together, it's おなかもいたいです｡ (onaka mo itai desu). "My stomach also hurts." おなかもいたいです｡

All together, it’s あたまがいたいです｡おなかもいたいです｡ (atama ga itai desu. onaka mo itai desu). "My head hurts. My stomach also hurts." あたまがいたいです｡おなかもいたいです｡

ねつがある？

Netsu ga aru?

Do you have a fever?

わかりません｡

Wakarimasen.

I don’t know.

じゃ、いえにかえる？

Ja, ie ni kaeru?

Then, shall we go home?

はい、そうします｡

Hai, sō shimasu.

Yes, let’s do that.

Let's look at the sentence pattern.

This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow.

[Person] は [noun] がいたいです｡

([Person] wa [noun] ga itai desu.)

[Person]'s [noun] hurts.

Let’s see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern.

あたまがいたいです｡

(Atama ga itai desu.)

'My head hurts.'

Notice how あたま (atama), meaning “head,” is followed by the subject marking particle が (ga). The phrase is then followed by いたいです (itai desu), which means “hurts.”

So, あたまがいたいです｡ shows how the noun (the body part) is marked as the subject with が, and いたいです expresses that it hurts.

This is how the pattern [Person] は [noun] がいたいです｡ is used to describe pain in a specific body part.

There are two more patterns which can be used to describe health conditions.

[Person] は [noun] がでます｡ ([Person] wa [noun] ga demasu.)

This translates literally to "Something comes out of [Person]'s [Noun]." You can use it to describe things like a runny nose.

Next is

[Person] は [noun] があります｡

([Person] wa [noun] ga arimasu.)

[Person] has a [noun].

You use this pattern when saying a person has a specific illness, like a cold or fever.

Now let's look at some speaking examples.

むすこはねつがあります｡ (Musuko wa netsu ga arimasu.)

My son has a fever.

Can you see how the patterns apply here?

Let's break it down:

First is "むすこは" (musuko wa) - むすこ means "son," and は marks it as the topic of the sentence. "ねつ" means fever, and が marks it as the subject of the sentence. Finally, "あります" means "has." All together, it's "My son has a fever," and it follows the "Person wa noun ga arimasu" pattern.

Here's another example

せきとくしゃみがでます｡ (Seki to kushami ga demasu.)

I have a cough and I'm sneezing.

せきとくしゃみがでます｡ (Seki to kushami ga demasu.)

I have a cough and I'm sneezing.

Let's try one more,

きのうからのどがいたいです｡ (Kinō kara nodo ga itai desu.)

My throat has been hurting since yesterday.

きのうからのどがいたいです｡ (Kinō kara nodo ga itai desu.)

My throat has been hurting since yesterday.

Another one.

せんしゅうからおなかがいたいです｡ (Senshū kara onaka ga itai desu.)

My stomach has been hurting since last week.

せんしゅうからおなかがいたいです｡ (Senshū kara onaka ga itai desu.)

My stomach has been hurting since last week.

One last example.

おなかがいたいです｡あたまもいたいです｡ ()

My stomach hurts. My head hurts too.

おなかがいたいです｡あたまもいたいです｡ (Onaka ga itai desu. Atama mo itai desu.)

My stomach hurts. My head hurts too.

Let's review.

Do you remember how to say "head"?

あたま (atama)

And what the subject marking particle is?

が (ga)

Do you remember how to say "it hurts"?

いたいです (itai desu)

And how to say "my head hurts"?

あたまがいたいです (atama ga itai desu)

Do you remember how to say "stomach"?

おなか (onaka)

And how to say "too"?

も (mo)

Do you remember how to say "my stomach hurts too"?

おなかもいたいです (onaka mo itai desu)

And how to say "My head hurts. My stomach hurts too."?

あたまがいたいです｡おなかもいたいです｡ (atama ga itai desu. onaka mo itai desu.)

Now you know how to talk about health in Japanese.

...and you can move on to the practice.

またね (mata ne)!

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