Doctor visits and buying meds
Describe your symptoms clearly, understand the doctor's instructions, and buy medicine at a drugstore.
What this page practisesdescribing symptoms · saying your temperature · asking how many times a day to take it · understanding doctor's orders · calling an ambulance
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Symptoms and buying medicine
The first four lines are spoken at the hospital, and the last two at the drugstore or in an emergency.
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頭が痛いんです。
My head hurts.
Use 「〜んです」 when describing your own symptoms; just saying 「頭が痛いです」 sounds like you're stating a fact, not asking for help.
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熱が三十八度あります。
I have a fever of 38 degrees.
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風邪薬はどこにありますか。
Where's the cold medicine?
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Please call an ambulance.
Japan's emergency number is 119 (fire and ambulance share the same number); be sure to memorize this sentence by heart.
Throat check at the clinic
The doctor asks about your symptoms, takes your temperature, prescribes medicine, and explains the precautions.
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doctor
どうしましたか。
What seems to be the problem?
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doctor
熱はありますか。
Do you have a fever?
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Patient
はい、三十七度五分あります。
Yes, it's 37.5 degrees.
For body temperature, the decimal point is read as 「分(ぶ)」, not 「点(てん)」: 37.5 degrees = さんじゅうななどごぶ.
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doctor
It's a cold. I'll go ahead and prescribe you some medicine.
〜ておきます = doing something in advance, having it ready. Often used when doctors or shop staff tell you what they have arranged.
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doctor
今日はやめたほうがいいですよ。
You'd better skip it today.
「〜たほうがいい」 is a set phrase for giving advice; the negative form is 「〜ないほうがいい」.
Audio on this page is AI-synthesized speech (Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS), not a human recording; the sentences are original.


