Doctor visits and buying meds

JLPT N42 sets · 13 lines

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

Symptoms and buying medicine

Single lines · 6 lines

The first four lines are spoken at the hospital, and the last two at the drugstore or in an emergency.

  1. 頭あたまが痛いたいんです。

    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.

  2. 昨日きのうから気分きぶんが悪わるいです。

    I've been feeling sick since yesterday.

  3. 熱ねつが三十八度さんじゅうはちどあります。

    I have a fever of 38 degrees.

  4. 薬くすりは一日いちにちに何回なんかい飲のめばいいですか。

    How many times a day should I take the medicine?

  5. 風邪薬かぜぐすりはどこにありますか。

    Where's the cold medicine?

  6. 救急車きゅうきゅうしゃを呼よんでください。

    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

Dialogue · 7 lines

The doctor asks about your symptoms, takes your temperature, prescribes medicine, and explains the precautions.

  1. doctor

    どうしましたか。

    What seems to be the problem?

  2. Patient

    三日前みっかまえから喉のどが痛いたいんです。

    My throat's been sore for the past three days.

  3. doctor

    熱ねつはありますか。

    Do you have a fever?

  4. Patient

    はい、三十七度五分さんじゅうななどごぶあります。

    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.

  5. doctor

    風邪かぜですね。薬くすりを出だしておきます。

    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.

  6. Patient

    お風呂ふろに入はいってもいいですか。

    Can I take a bath?

  7. doctor

    今日きょう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.

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