How to Express Sickness and Pain in Japanese
Expressing how sick you feel or where you feel pain is never fun or easy, especially in a foreign language. In this animated video, we introduce ten basic phrases that you can use to express pain and sickness in Japanese.
Japanese onomatopoeias (擬音語 giongo & 擬態語gitaigo) are useful for explaining a symptom or sensation that may be difficult to describe.
The sample phrases are in the casual form for casual situations, for example, when you’re talking to your friends, family or host family.
When you go to a pharmacy or visit a health professional, you would want to use the polite form so below is a list of the phrases in the polite form 丁寧語 (teineigo).
*Notice the difference with the「〜んです」at the end.
10 Phrases in the Polite Form
1. ズキズキ (throbbing pain)
歯がズキズキするんです。
I have a toothache.
2. ガンガン (pounding pain)
頭がガンガンするんです。
I have a pounding headache.
3. ジンジン (a prickly, tingling sensation)
手がジンジンしびれるんです。
I have a tingling sensation in my hands.
4. ムカムカ (when you feel queasy or nauseous)
胃がムカムカするんです。
I feel queasy.
5. イガイガ (when you have a scratchy throat)
喉がイガイガするんです。
I have a scratchy throat.
6. ゴロゴロ (when you have something in your eye, or an upset stomach)
目がゴロゴロするんです。
I have something in my eye.
7. しょぼしょぼ (when your eyes are tired and sore)
目)がしょぼしょぼするんです。
My eyes are tired and sore.
8. パンパン (when your muscles are stiff)
肩がパンパンなんです。
My shoulders are stiff.
9. むずむず (when your nose tickles or when you have an itch)
鼻がむずむずするんです。
I have a tickle in my nose.
10. くらくら (when you feel dizzy)
くらくらするんです。
I feel dizzy.
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For more, learn body parts in Japanese, and flip through the Medical Symptoms Flashcards.
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