Medical Japanese Cheat Sheet: 50 Phrases for the Clinic

Full translation of the intake questionnaire (問診票), symptoms, body parts, and key phrases for reception, examination, payment, and pharmacy. Screenshot this before your visit.

Bottom line: The biggest barrier to medical care in Japan isn't finding a clinic — it's the paperwork and conversation once you're inside. The intake questionnaire (問診票) is almost always in Japanese only, the doctor will ask questions you need to understand, and the pharmacy needs to explain your medication. This cheat sheet covers everything: the full intake form translated, symptoms, body parts, and the key phrases for every step from reception to pharmacy.

Information current as of March 2026. As the founder of LO-PAL and a former Medical Coordinator for Foreign Patients at a hospital in Osaka, I've filled out or translated hundreds of these forms. The questions are nearly identical at every clinic in Japan — once you've seen this list, you'll recognize the form immediately.

The intake questionnaire (問診票 / monshin-hyō) — full translation

At your first visit to any clinic or hospital, you'll receive this form. Here's what every line asks:

Japanese	Romaji	English	How to answer
氏名	shimei	Full name	Write in romaji (alphabet)
生年月日	seinen gappi	Date of birth	Year/Month/Day — use Western calendar (西暦)
年齢	nenrei	Age	Number
性別	seibetsu	Gender	男 (otoko) = male, 女 (onna) = female
住所	jūsho	Address	Your Japanese address
電話番号	denwa bangō	Phone number	Your mobile number
本日はどうされましたか？	honjitsu wa dō saremashita ka?	What brings you in today?	Describe your symptoms (see symptom list below)
いつからですか？	itsu kara desu ka?	When did it start?	○日前から (○ nichi mae kara) = ○ days ago
既往歴	kiōreki	Medical history	Check boxes or write past illnesses/surgeries
現在治療中の病気	genzai chiryō-chū no byōki	Currently being treated for	List ongoing conditions
服用中の薬	fukuyō-chū no kusuri	Current medications	List all medications (bring the actual packages if possible)
アレルギー	arerugī	Allergies	薬 (kusuri) = medications, 食べ物 (tabemono) = food, その他 (sonota) = other
薬のアレルギー	kusuri no arerugī	Drug allergies	Write medication name
妊娠の可能性	ninshin no kanōsei	Possibility of pregnancy	あり (ari) = yes, なし (nashi) = no
飲酒	inshu	Alcohol consumption	毎日 (mainichi) = daily, 時々 (tokidoki) = sometimes, なし = none
喫煙	kitsuen	Smoking	本/日 (hon/nichi) = cigarettes per day, or なし = none
紹介状の有無	shōkaijō no umu	Do you have a referral letter?	あり = yes, なし = no

Pro tip: Take a screenshot of this table on your phone. When you get the form at the clinic, you can match each line and fill it out correctly. Some larger hospitals have English forms — always ask: 「英語の問診票はありますか？」(Eigo no monshin-hyō wa arimasu ka?)

Common medical history items (既往歴チェックボックス)

The form often has checkboxes for common conditions:

Japanese	Romaji	English
高血圧	kō ketsuatsu	High blood pressure
糖尿病	tōnyōbyō	Diabetes
心臓病	shinzōbyō	Heart disease
喘息	zensoku	Asthma
肝臓病	kanzōbyō	Liver disease
腎臓病	jinzōbyō	Kidney disease
脳卒中	nōsotchū	Stroke
がん	gan	Cancer
手術歴	shujutsu-reki	Surgical history
入院歴	nyūin-reki	Hospitalization history

Describing your symptoms

Symptom	Japanese	Romaji
Fever	熱があります	Netsu ga arimasu
Headache	頭が痛いです	Atama ga itai desu
Sore throat	喉が痛いです	Nodo ga itai desu
Cough	咳が出ます	Seki ga demasu
Runny nose	鼻水が出ます	Hanamizu ga demasu
Stomach pain	お腹が痛いです	Onaka ga itai desu
Nausea	吐き気がします	Hakike ga shimasu
Vomiting	吐きました	Hakimashita
Diarrhea	下痢をしています	Geri o shite imasu
Dizziness	めまいがします	Memai ga shimasu
Chest pain	胸が痛いです	Mune ga itai desu
Difficulty breathing	息が苦しいです	Iki ga kurushii desu
Back pain	腰が痛いです	Koshi ga itai desu
Rash / skin problem	発疹が出ています	Hasshin ga dete imasu
Itchy	かゆいです	Kayui desu
Swollen	腫れています	Harete imasu
I can't sleep	眠れません	Nemuremasen
I feel depressed	気分が落ち込んでいます	Kibun ga ochikonde imasu
I feel anxious	不安感があります	Fuan-kan ga arimasu
Toothache	歯が痛いです	Ha ga itai desu

Body parts

English	Japanese	Romaji
Head	頭	atama
Eye	目	me
Ear	耳	mimi
Nose	鼻	hana
Throat	喉	nodo
Chest	胸	mune
Stomach / abdomen	お腹	onaka
Back (upper)	背中	senaka
Lower back	腰	koshi
Arm	腕	ude
Hand	手	te
Leg	足 / 脚	ashi
Knee	膝	hiza
Shoulder	肩	kata
Neck	首	kubi
Skin	皮膚	hifu
Teeth	歯	ha

Universal phrase: Point to the area and say 「ここが痛いです」(koko ga itai desu) = "It hurts here." This works even with zero Japanese.

At reception

English	Japanese	Romaji
This is my first visit	初診です / 初めてです	Shoshin desu / Hajimete desu
I have an appointment	予約があります	Yoyaku ga arimasu
I don't have an appointment	予約はありません	Yoyaku wa arimasen
Here is my insurance card	保険証です	Hokenshō desu
Do you have an English form?	英語の問診票はありますか？	Eigo no monshin-hyō wa arimasu ka?
How long is the wait?	待ち時間はどれくらいですか？	Machi jikan wa dore kurai desu ka?

During the examination

English	Japanese	Romaji
It started ○ days ago	○日前からです	○ nichi mae kara desu
It's getting worse	悪くなっています	Waruku natte imasu
I take this medicine (show package)	この薬を飲んでいます	Kono kusuri o nonde imasu
I'm allergic to ○○	○○にアレルギーがあります	○○ ni arerugī ga arimasu
I might be pregnant	妊娠しているかもしれません	Ninshin shite iru kamo shiremasen
Can you write it down?	書いてもらえますか？	Kaite moraemasu ka?
What is the diagnosis?	診断名は何ですか？	Shindan-mei wa nan desu ka?
Is it serious?	深刻ですか？	Shinkoku desu ka?
Do I need to come back?	また来る必要がありますか？	Mata kuru hitsuyō ga arimasu ka?

At payment

English	Japanese	Romaji
How much is it?	いくらですか？	Ikura desu ka?
Can I pay by card?	カードで払えますか？	Kādo de haraemasu ka?
Please give me a receipt	領収書をください	Ryōshūsho o kudasai
Where is the pharmacy?	薬局はどこですか？	Yakkyoku wa doko desu ka?

At the pharmacy

English	Japanese	Romaji
Here is my prescription	処方箋です	Shohōsen desu
How do I take this?	どうやって飲みますか？	Dō yatte nomimasu ka?
How many times a day?	1日何回ですか？	Ichi-nichi nan-kai desu ka?
Before or after meals?	食前ですか？食後ですか？	Shokuzen desu ka? Shokugo desu ka?
Are there side effects?	副作用はありますか？	Fukusayō wa arimasu ka?
Can I drink alcohol with this?	お酒を飲んでも大丈夫ですか？	Osake o nonde mo daijōbu desu ka?
I have an allergy to ○○	○○にアレルギーがあります	○○ ni arerugī ga arimasu

Common medication instructions you'll see on the label

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
1日3回	ichi-nichi san-kai	3 times a day
毎食後	maishoku-go	After every meal
食前	shokuzen	Before meals
食後	shokugo	After meals
寝る前	neru mae	Before bed
頓服	tonpuku	Take as needed (when symptoms appear)
○日分	○ nichi-bun	○ days' supply
1回○錠	ikkai ○ jō	○ tablets per dose

In an emergency

English	Japanese	Romaji
Please call an ambulance!	救急車を呼んでください！	Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai!
I can't breathe	息ができません	Iki ga dekimasen
I'm having chest pain	胸が痛いです	Mune ga itai desu
He/she collapsed	倒れました	Taoremashita
There's been an accident	事故がありました	Jiko ga arimashita
I'm bleeding	血が出ています	Chi ga dete imasu

Can't communicate at the clinic? Post your question on LO-PAL for free — a local helper can join your appointment by phone to interpret, or help you fill out the intake form before you go.