How to say "sickness" in Japanese

• 病気びょうきJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounCovers sickness in the sense of being ill or having a disease, usually excluding minor ailments such as the common cold. This is the word you want when talking about someone's illness.
  あなたの病気びょうきがよくなることを願ねがっています。↗

  I hope you'll get well soon.
• 病患びょうかんCommon
  nounAlso means sickness or disease, but adds little that 病気 does not already cover; for saying that someone is ill it is seldom the word you want — use 病気 instead.
• 煩いわずらいCommon
  nounIt means illness or sickness, with the nuance of a condition one suffers from or is troubled by; for plain 'sickness' it is seldom the word you want, and 病気 is the natural choice.
  長ながいわずらいで彼かれは借金しゃっきんをこさえた。↗

  His long sickness ran him into debt.

For 'sickness' in the sense of being ill or having a disease, 病気 is almost always the right choice; 病患 and 「煩い」 also mean sickness but overlap with 病気 and are seldom what you want.

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

• 病気びょうきillness (usu. excluding minor ailments, e.g. common cold)
• 病患びょうかんsickness
• 不例ふれいindisposition
• 煩いわずらいillness
• 障りさわりharm (to one's health)