How to say "clinic" in Japanese

• 病院びょういんJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounChiefly 'hospital', but in everyday speech it also covers 'clinic': people use it for a visit to a small local clinic or doctor's office, not only for a large hospital.
  この近ちかくに病院びょういんはありますか。↗

  Is there a hospital near here?
• クリニックCommon
  nounThe direct loanword for 'clinic'. It is the natural choice when you specifically mean a clinic rather than a hospital, and it often appears in the names of private medical facilities.
  ちなみに、ウチのクリニックから数百すーひゃくメートルの近場ちかばに「ランプ」が建設けんせつ中ちゅうです。↗

  Incidentally a motorway ramp is being constructed in the neighbourhood, a few hundred metres away, of my clinic.
• 医院いいんCommon
  nounReally 'doctor's office' or 'doctor's surgery' — a small medical practice. It can translate 'clinic', but for that meaning クリニック or 診療所 are usually better choices.
  手術しゅじゅつは医院いいん内ないで三さん十分じゅうぶん以内いないに完了かんりょうします。↗

  The surgery, performed at our clinic, is over in half an hour.
• 診療所しんりょうじょCommon
  nounThe general term for a clinic or medical office, and it can also mean an infirmary; a neutral choice when you simply mean a place where a doctor treats patients.
  昨日きのう父ちちが心臓しんぞう発作ほっさを起おこしたが、診療所しんりょうじょが近ちかくにあるのは好運こううんだった。↗

  My father had a heart attack yesterday, but he was lucky to have a clinic close at hand.

For a clinic as a small medical facility choose 「クリニック」 or 診療所; use 病院 for a hospital or when speaking loosely of a visit to the doctor; 医院 is really a doctor's office or surgery.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 病院びょういんhospital
• クリニックclinic
• 医院いいんdoctor's office
• 診療所しんりょうじょclinic
• 臨床講義りんしょうこうぎclinical lecture
• 個人病院こじんびょういんprivate hospital
• 診察所しんさつしょmedical office