Medical Japanese: Intake and Symptom Description

Medical Japanese vocabulary decides how fast a clinic visit moves once the intake form lands in your hands.¹ A dozen body-part words, a handful of symptom frames, and the ability to read four intake questions cover most first visits.

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Japan National Tourism Organization hospital search and the clinic you plan to visit.

Overview

This article covers recurring intake and symptom vocabulary only: body parts, symptom phrases, intake-form questions, and show-to-doctor tools.¹² It does not explain diagnoses or treatments.

The pattern is consistent nationwide.¹ First visits ask you to fill a medical questionnaire, the 問診票 (monshinhyo, "medical intake questionnaire"), with length varying by facility.³⁴ The questionnaire is almost always Japanese-only, though larger hospitals sometimes stock English forms.¹

A typical visit runs reception with insurance card plus form, waiting room, consultation, tests as needed, then pharmacy with prescription.² Staff often slow down and speak clearly when they see a foreign patient, and you can ask them to write keywords down when speech moves too fast.³

Body parts in Japanese

Pointing plus a single body-part word carries most location meaning. Pair the part with pain when you can, and fall back to pointing plus here when you cannot.¹⁴

Head, face, and throat

The 頭 (atama, "head") plus pain frame reports headache as Atama ga itai desu.¹² The 喉 (nodo, "throat") works the same way for sore throat as Nodo ga itai desu.¹

Term	Reading	Meaning
頭	atama	Head1
目	me	Eye1
耳	mimi	Ear1
鼻	hana	Nose1
喉	nodo	Throat1
首	kubi	Neck4
肩	kata	Shoulder4

Point and say here when the word will not come

Say Koko ga itai desu while pointing to the spot.¹² Staff confirm the location back to you, then ask follow-ups from there.

Torso and limbs

The 胸 (mune, "chest") and お腹 (onaka, "stomach, abdomen") pair with pain for chest and stomach complaints.¹² Upper back is 背中 (senaka, "upper back") while lower back is 腰 (koshi, "lower back, waist").¹

Term	Reading	Meaning
胸	mune	Chest1
お腹	onaka	Stomach, abdomen1
背中	senaka	Upper back1
腰	koshi	Lower back, waist1
腕	ude	Arm1
足	ashi	Leg, foot1
膝	hiza	Knee1

Numbness in a limb uses a different frame from pain. A useful model is Ude ga shibiremasu for an arm that feels numb.²

Symptoms and how to describe them

Each symptom takes a fixed frame. Pain uses itai, fever uses existence, sensations use shimasu, and things that come out use demasu.²⁴

Pain, fever, and cold-like symptoms

痛い (itai, "painful, it hurts") marks pain at a location, as in Atama ga itai desu.²⁴ 熱 (netsu, "fever") uses existence, as in Netsu ga arimasu.¹⁴

Japanese phrase	Reading	Meaning
頭が痛いです	atama ga itai desu	I have a headache1
熱があります	netsu ga arimasu	I have a fever1
喉が痛いです	nodo ga itai desu	I have a sore throat1
咳が出ます	seki ga demasu	I have a cough1
鼻水が出ます	hanamizu ga demasu	I have a runny nose1

Pain-type words sharpen the report when you know them. 鈍い痛み (nibui itami, "dull aching pain") contrasts with sharp pain, while ズキズキ (zuki-zuki, "throbbing") describes a pounding pattern.⁴²

When type words fail, intensity words still help. Sukoshi itai signals a little pain, totemo itai signals a lot, and gaman dekinai kurai itai signals unbearable pain.²

Breathing, digestion, and neurological symptoms

息苦しい (ikigurushii, "short of breath, breathing difficulty") reports breathing trouble, also phrased as Iki ga kurushii desu.¹² 吐き気 (hakike, "nausea") takes shimasu, as in Hakike ga shimasu.¹⁴

Japanese phrase	Reading	Meaning
息苦しいです	ikigurushii desu	I have trouble breathing1
吐き気がします	hakike ga shimasu	I feel nauseous1
吐きました	hakimashita	I vomited1
下痢をしています	geri o shite imasu	I have diarrhea1
めまいがします	memai ga shimasu	I feel dizzy1
痺れがあります	shibire ga arimasu	I have numbness, tingling4

Skin complaints use their own trio. Rash appears as Hasshin ga dete imasu, itch as Kayui desu, and swelling as Harete imasu.¹⁴ 下痢 (geri, "diarrhea") and めまい (memai, "dizziness") both recur on intake checklists and in speech.¹²

Keep nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea as separate reports

Hakike is the sensation, vomiting is the event, and geri is the bowel pattern.¹⁴ Reporting each on its own line avoids one vague stomach complaint that staff must unpack.

Onset, duration, and intensity phrases

Doctors ask いつから (itsu kara, "since when") and what kind of pain you feel.¹⁴ The answer pattern is N days ago plus kara, as in Mikka mae kara desu for three days ago.¹²

Japanese	Reading	Meaning
いつからですか	itsu kara desu ka	Since when1
三日前からです	mikka mae kara desu	Since three days ago1
きのうから	kino kara	Since yesterday2
ずっと	zutto	Continuously, all the time2
時々	tokidoki	Sometimes2

Frequency words place the symptom in time. Tokidoki marks sometimes, yoku marks often, and ずっと (zutto, "continuously, all the time") marks a constant pattern.² Change over time has its own phrase in Waruku natte imasu for getting worse.¹

Intake form questions decoded

Read the form line by line and answer what it asks. The questions below repeat across clinics with only small wording differences.¹⁵

The chart above mirrors the standard flow described for foreign patients: reception and form, then consultation, then pharmacy.²³ Keep it in mind while reading each form section below.

Allergies, medications, and medical history

既往歴 (kioreki, "medical history, past illnesses") asks for past illnesses and surgeries.¹ A hospital form example lists checkboxes for high blood pressure, diabetes, lipid disorder, chronic kidney disease, malignancy, and cerebral infarction.⁵

服用中の薬 (fukuyo-chu no kusuri, "medications currently taking") asks for every current drug with name, dose, and period.¹⁵ アレルギー (arerugi, "allergy") splits into medication, food, and other, with hospital checkboxes for antibiotics, cold medicine, antipyretic or analgesic drugs, local anesthetic, and contrast agent, plus pollen, house dust, and animals.¹⁵

Form line	Reading	How to answer
既往歴	kioreki	Check boxes or write past illnesses and surgeries1
現在治療中の病気	genzai chiryo-chu no byoki	List ongoing conditions1
服用中の薬	fukuyo-chu no kusuri	List all drugs; bring packages when possible1
アレルギー	arerugi	Mark medication, food, or other; name the trigger1
手術歴 / 入院歴	shujutsu-reki / nyuin-reki	Note surgical and hospitalization history1

The taking-medicine phrase is Kono kusuri o nonde imasu.¹ A bilingual form example explicitly asks about vitamins and supplements too, and asks to show the medication or medicine pocketbook.⁶

持病 (jibyo, "chronic illness") plus the name, as in Jibyo ga arimasu with diabetes as an example, covers ongoing conditions in speech.² The お薬手帳 (okusuri techo, "medication record handbook") records prescribed drugs and past intake.³

Pharmacy staff ask for that handbook because it prevents duplicate prescriptions, flags allergies, and helps avoid interactions when several drugs combine.³ Bring it to both hospital and pharmacy visits.

Pregnancy, habits, and consent flags

妊娠の可能性 (ninshin no kanosei, "possibility of pregnancy") takes yes or no, while a hospital form example asks pregnancy or breastfeeding status for women with week count.¹⁵ State pregnancy early in the visit rather than waiting to be asked twice.²

Form line	Reading	How to answer
妊娠の可能性	ninshin no kanosei	Mark yes or no; add weeks when asked1
飲酒	inshu	Mark daily, sometimes, or none1
喫煙	kitsuen	Write cigarettes per day or none1
紹介状の有無	shokaijo no umu	Mark referral letter yes or no1

飲酒 (inshu, "alcohol consumption") and 喫煙 (kitsuen, "smoking") record habits with frequency or daily counts.¹ One hospital form also asks My Number insurance-information consent and referral-letter presence at the top of the sheet.⁵

The speech fallback is Ninshin shite imasu for pregnant and Ninshin shite iru kamo shiremasen for possibly pregnant.¹² Use the stronger statement when certain and the hedged one when unsure.

Reception phrases that surround the form

受付 (uketsuke, "reception") is where the form journey starts.² 初診 (shoshin, "first visit") marks a first visit, while Yoyaku ga arimasu states an appointment.¹⁴

Situation	Japanese	Reading
This is my first visit	初診です	shoshin desu1
I have an appointment	予約があります	yoyaku ga arimasu1
Here is my insurance card	保険証です	hokensho desu1
Do you have an English form	英語の問診票はありますか	eigo no monshinhyo wa arimasu ka1
Please fill out the form	問診票を記入してください	monshinhyo o kinyu shite kudasai4

Staff questions cluster around the same set. Expect where it hurts, how long symptoms have lasted, whether allergies exist, and whether you take medication now.⁴ 診察 (shinsatsu, "medical examination, consultation") names the consultation itself, while 薬局 (yakkyoku, "pharmacy") and 処方箋 (shohosen, "prescription") name the stops after it.²¹

When speech outruns comprehension, ask for writing. Kaite moraemasu ka requests a written note, while Koko ni kaite kudasai points at the spot to write.¹²

Practical communication tools

Tools do not replace the vocabulary above. They carry the same facts in a shape staff can read directly.

Show-to-doctor apps

Dr. Passport ships as a booklet and an app from Mais Co.⁷ The booklet holds 240 or more sentences for doctors, reception, pharmacy, and women or children issues, plus personal health history, and has been in print since 1991.⁷

The app covers 13 languages with batch translation from a primary language into Japanese for showing to staff, plus 2000 or more symptom entries by body-part combination with onset and severity detail.⁷ It also stores allergies, medical history, surgery, vaccination, regular medication, habits, pregnancy history, and contact data, and works offline once downloaded (as of 2026-09-08; confirm current figures with Mais Co.).⁷

Medi-Pass from Medica Shuppan is a foreign-patient medical dictionary app for hospital use, covering symptom expressions plus reception, accounting, emergency, and ward phrases.⁸ Trial download is free and full use needs a paid upgrade (as of 2026-09-08).⁸

App	What it covers	Price	As of	Source
Dr. Passport personal app	2000 plus symptom combos, history and allergy data, exam and pharmacy phrasebook with voice, offline	1,300 yen, 13 languages	2026-09-087	Mais Co.
Medi-Pass	Medical dictionary, symptom expressions, reception and ward phrases	3,400 yen tax incl. upgrade	2026-09-088	Medica Shuppan

The table prices are administrative figures, so treat them as dated snapshots. Confirm the current price in the store listing before buying for a visit this week. Android voice in Dr. Passport covers only English, Spanish, French, and German, so do not assume all 13 languages speak aloud on every device.⁷

Confirm the clinic will read a phone screen before relying on it

Some counters prefer paper and some exam rooms have no signal.³² Keep a paper backup even when the app is ready.

What to prepare before a visit

Write chronic illnesses, current medicines and doses, allergies, and pregnancy status before you need them.² Emergency and travel guidance repeats this preparation step because memory fails under stress.

Build one paper or digital card with name, birth date, emergency contact, blood type when known, chronic illnesses, medicines and doses, allergies, and pregnancy status in English, plus the key Japanese phrases from this article on the reverse.² Review it when the visit is routine so it is ready when the visit is urgent.

Use translation apps only for short clear sentences and avoid long paragraphs.² Ask the doctor to type keywords so you can save them for later review. Confirm dosage and timing with the pharmacist after the visit.²

A bilingual intake PDF from the Japan National Tourism Organization can be filled before the visit and carried in for staff who cannot follow spoken Japanese.³ It does not replace the clinic form, but it gives staff a clean starting copy.

Good to know

Pointing plus one keyword beats a rehearsed sentence

Pointing plus Koko ga itai desu works even with zero Japanese.¹⁴ Under pressure a single location word plus pain transmits the core fact, and staff confirm back before asking follow-ups.²

Memorize that one fallback before memorizing longer frames. Longer sentences help once the visit settles, but the first thirty seconds usually decide which department and which questions follow.

Write medications down; do not recite them from memory

Bringing actual packages or showing the medicine pocketbook is the advised path, since forms ask for drug name, dose, and period.¹⁵⁶ Recited names risk mishearing across languages and scripts.

The written list plus handbook lets staff check duplicates, allergies, and interactions in one pass.³ Keep the handbook with the insurance card so both reach the counter together.

Confirm which app or paper the clinic accepts before relying on it

English forms, interpreters, and app acceptance vary by clinic, with larger hospitals more likely to stock English forms.¹ Vocabulary itself is uniform nationwide; only facility-level service availability varies.

A phone screen helps only when staff will read it. Paper backup such as a printed symptom memo, a filled bilingual sheet, or the medicine handbook covers no-signal counters and no-app clinics.³²

See also

• Why JLPT Vocab Is Not Enough for Resident Life
• Finding an English-Speaking Provider
• What to Bring to a Doctor's Visit
• Clinic vs. Hospital: The Two-Tier System
• The Medication Record Book (Okusuri Techo)
• Booking a Doctor in Japan

References

Footnotes

1. LO-PAL (Taku Kanaya, founder; former Medical Coordinator for Foreign Patients). "Medical Japanese Cheat Sheet: 50 Phrases for the Clinic." 2026-03-28. https://lo-pal.app/guide/en/japan-medical-japanese-phrases ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹ ↩³² ↩³³ ↩³⁴ ↩³⁵ ↩³⁶ ↩³⁷ ↩³⁸ ↩³⁹ ↩⁴⁰ ↩⁴¹ ↩⁴² ↩⁴³ ↩⁴⁴ ↩⁴⁵ ↩⁴⁶ ↩⁴⁷ ↩⁴⁸ ↩⁴⁹ ↩⁵⁰ ↩⁵¹ ↩⁵² ↩⁵³ ↩⁵⁴ ↩⁵⁵ ↩⁵⁶ ↩⁵⁷ ↩⁵⁸ ↩⁵⁹ ↩⁶⁰ ↩⁶¹ ↩⁶² ↩⁶³ ↩⁶⁴ ↩⁶⁵ ↩⁶⁶ ↩⁶⁷ ↩⁶⁸ ↩⁶⁹ ↩⁷⁰

2. Japan Handbook (Sarah Williams). "Medical Japanese: Describing Your Symptoms When You Do Not Speak the Language." 2025-12-08. https://japanhandbook.com/medical-japanese-describing-your-symptoms-when-you-dont-speak-the-language/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹

3. MATCHA (Chien). "What If I Am Sick? Guide To Japanese Hospitals." https://matcha-jp.com/en/5473 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

4. italki Language Learning Team. "Japanese Medical Terminology: 150 Essential Phrases." Updated 2026-06-29. https://www.italki.com/en/blog/japanese-medical-terminology ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷

5. Mitsui Hospital (Iryo Hojin Hoeikai). Standard adult intake questionnaire PDF (monshinhyo, urology v2). 2024-04. https://mitsui-hospital.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/%E5%95%8F%E8%A8%BA%E7%A5%A8_%E9%80%9A%E5%B8%B8%E6%B3%8C%E5%B0%BF%E5%99%A8%E7%A7%91_v2.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

6. Kyoaikai. "Patient Pre-Registration Form / Kanja Joho Jizen Kinyusho" bilingual EN-JA PDF. 2018-08. https://www.kyoaikai.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/PatientPre-Registration-Form.pdf ↩ ↩²

7. Mais Co., Ltd. "Dr. PASSPORT" product page. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://mais.co.jp/en/dr-passport/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

8. Medica Shuppan (Medicus Shuppan). "Medi Pass Gaikokujin Iryo Shien System" product page. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://database.medica.co.jp/topcontents/medipass/ ↩ ↩² ↩³