Flu Season in Japan: Japanese Phrases for Infuru, Clinics and Work

In Japan, influenza is usually called infuru (インフル), and winter is flu season. If you have a fever, phone the clinic before you go, describe your symptoms, and tell your school or workplace; they will tell you their rules for staying home.

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What you need to know

Flu Season in Japan: Japanese Phrases for Infuru, Clinics and Work

Every winter, Japanese news reports on the flu, schools close classes when too many children are sick, and clinics fill with people asking for a test. If you live in Japan, you will need a handful of practical phrases: how to say you have a fever and what your temperature is, how to call a clinic and ask whether you can come in, what the doctor and nurse will ask you, how to tell your boss or your child's school that you are staying home, and how to ask about a flu vaccination. This guide gives you those phrases in polite, ready-to-use form. It is a language guide, not medical advice: if you feel ill, see a doctor, and follow the instructions of your clinic, school and employer, whose rules can differ.

Infuru is the everyday word for influenza; kensa means a test

Many clinics ask fever patients to phone before coming in

Rest rules differ by school and company: ask yours

A flu shot is infuru no yobō sesshu; book it at a clinic

The four phrases you need first

If you remember nothing else, remember these. The first is what you tell your boss or friends; the second opens a call to any clinic; the third is what the nurse will want to know; the fourth is what most patients with flu symptoms come to the clinic for.

Four picture cards: saying you caught the flu, saying you have a fever, giving your temperature, and asking for a flu test.
Four lines that cover the first call or visit: the flu, the fever, the temperature and the test.
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
インフルにかかりました。Infuru ni kakarimashita.I've caught the flu.
熱があります。Netsu ga arimasu.I have a fever.
三十八度五分です。Sanjūhachi do go bu desu.My temperature is 38.5°C.
検査を受けたいです。Kensa o uketai desu.I'd like to be tested.

Symptoms: how to describe how you feel

Japanese clinics measure temperature in Celsius, and people say the decimal with bu: 38.5 is sanjūhachi do go bu. Many people say the number with ten instead, sanjūhachi ten go do, and both are understood. Start with when it began, then list symptoms with the ~ te imasu or ~ ga arimasu pattern.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
昨日の夜から熱があります。Kinō no yoru kara netsu ga arimasu.I've had a fever since last night.
喉が痛いです。Nodo ga itai desu.My throat hurts.
咳が出ます。Seki ga demasu.I have a cough.
寒気がします。Samuke ga shimasu.I feel chills.
関節が痛いです。Kansetsu ga itai desu.My joints ache.
体がだるいです。Karada ga darui desu.I feel heavy and exhausted.
頭痛がひどいです。Zutsū ga hidoi desu.I have a bad headache.

Calling the clinic before you go

Many clinics, kurinikku or iin, ask patients with a fever to phone first. Some have a separate fever outpatient service, hatsunetsu gairai (発熱外来), with set hours or a separate entrance. When you call, give your name, say you have a fever, and ask whether you can come today. Have your insurance card ready: in Japan this is now usually the My Number card registered for health insurance, or the document your insurer gave you; the clinic will tell you what to bring.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
もしもし、熱があるんですが、今日診てもらえますか。Moshimoshi, netsu ga aru n desu ga, kyō mite moraemasu ka.Hello, I have a fever. Could I be seen today?
何時ごろ行けばいいですか。Nanji goro ikeba ii desu ka.Around what time should I come?
発熱外来はありますか。Hatsunetsu gairai wa arimasu ka.Do you have a fever clinic?
車の中でお待ちください。Kuruma no naka de omachi kudasai.Staff: Please wait in your car.
保険証は何を持って行けばいいですか。Hokenshō wa nani o motte ikeba ii desu ka.What should I bring as my insurance card?

At the clinic: the test and the doctor's questions

If the doctor decides to test you, the nurse usually takes a swab from your nose. The doctor will tell you the result and decide on treatment. Listen for these questions; most of them are yes-or-no and you can answer with hai or iie plus a short detail. This is a language guide only: follow your doctor's instructions about medicine and rest.

A middle-aged woman from Southeast Asia, wearing a mask, sits on a clinic stool answering a kind doctor's questions in a bright consultation room with a potted plant.
Most of the doctor's questions are simple: when it started, how high the fever is, and whether anyone around you is ill.
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
いつから熱がありますか。Itsu kara netsu ga arimasu ka.Doctor: Since when have you had a fever?
周りにインフルの人はいますか。Mawari ni infuru no hito wa imasu ka.Doctor: Is anyone around you sick with flu?
アレルギーはありますか。Arerugī wa arimasu ka.Doctor: Do you have any allergies?
インフルエンザA型ですね。Infuruenza ē gata desu ne.Doctor: It's influenza type A.
検査が陰性でした。Kensa ga insei deshita.The test was negative.
もう一度説明していただけますか。Mō ichido setsumei shite itadakemasu ka.Could you explain that once more?

Telling school or work you are staying home

Schools in Japan follow national guidelines for infectious diseases such as influenza, which set a minimum number of days away from school counted from when symptoms start and when the fever goes down. Exactly how it is applied, and whether you need a form from the doctor, varies, so ask the school. Children kept home for this reason are usually marked shusseki teishi (出席停止), suspended attendance, which is not counted as an absence. Companies have their own rules: some require you to stay home for a set period, others leave it to the doctor.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
インフルエンザのため、今日はお休みします。Infuruenza no tame, kyō wa oyasumi shimasu.Because of the flu, I'll take today off.
病院に行ってから、また連絡します。Byōin ni itte kara, mata renraku shimasu.I'll contact you again after seeing the doctor.
いつから出勤できますか。Itsu kara shukkin dekimasu ka.From when may I return to work?
娘がインフルエンザと診断されました。Musume ga infuruenza to shindan saremashita.My daughter was diagnosed with the flu.
登校には何か書類が必要ですか。Tōkō ni wa nani ka shorui ga hitsuyō desu ka.Is any document needed for her to return to school?

If you send a message instead of calling, keep it short: what happened, what you will do, and when you will update them. Apologising once, gomeiwaku o okake shimasu, I am sorry for the trouble, is standard in a work message.

Masks, flu shots and the pharmacy

Many people in Japan wear masks in winter, both to avoid catching something and, when they have a cold, to avoid passing it on. Washing your hands, tearai, and gargling, ugai, are the classic advice you will hear from schools and on TV. Flu vaccinations are given at clinics from autumn, usually by appointment; some local governments subsidise them for certain age groups.

Prescriptions from the clinic are filled at a pharmacy, yakkyoku (薬局), often next door. Hand over the prescription, shohōsen (処方箋), and the pharmacist will explain how to take the medicine. The pharmacist may also ask about other medicines you take.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
インフルの予防接種を予約したいんですが。Infuru no yobō sesshu o yoyaku shitai n desu ga.I'd like to book a flu shot.
処方箋をお願いします。Shohōsen o onegai shimasu.Here's my prescription.
この薬は一日何回飲みますか。Kono kusuri wa ichinichi nankai nomimasu ka.How many times a day do I take this?
ほかに飲んでいる薬はありますか。Hoka ni nonde iru kusuri wa arimasu ka.Pharmacist: Are you taking any other medicine?
お大事に。Odaiji ni.Take care of yourself. (said to someone ill)

Common learner mistakes

  • Saying kaze for the flu. Kaze is a cold; if the doctor says infuru, use infuru with your school or work, because the rules differ.
  • Saying watashi wa netsu desu. Say netsu ga arimasu, I have a fever.
  • Walking into a clinic with a fever without calling first. Many clinics prefer a call, and some have separate hours.
  • Using byōki desu, I am ill, for everything. It sounds vague and serious; name the symptom instead.
  • Forgetting odaiji ni. When a coworker is ill, it is the kind, expected thing to say.
Key points

A practical way to improve

Practise the calls before you need them, because speaking Japanese with a fever is hard. First, say your symptoms aloud in one breath: when the fever started, your temperature and two other symptoms, using kara and ~ te imasu. Second, rehearse the call to the clinic: give your name, say you have a fever, ask whether you can be seen today and what time to come. Third, rehearse the call or message to your workplace: say you have the flu, that you will rest today and that you will update them after seeing the doctor. Then, in Unihongo's immersive 3D classroom, try the Describe Symptoms at a Clinic mission, where AI Sensei plays the clinic staff and doctor and you complete the objectives by speaking. Ask the Sensei to speak more slowly if needed, and review the vocabulary in your session report.

  1. 1

    Choose one clear goal

    Focus each session on a situation or skill you can actually use.

  2. 2

    Practice actively

    Say complete answers aloud instead of only reading or recognizing Japanese.

  3. 3

    Review and repeat

    Keep useful corrections and revisit the same skill until it feels natural.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is infuru in Japanese?

Infuru (インフル) is the everyday short form of infuruenza (インフルエンザ), influenza. People say infuru ni kakatta, I got the flu, and infuru ga hayatte iru, the flu is going around. The full word is used in news reports and on clinic notices.

Should I call the clinic before going with a fever?

Many clinics in Japan ask patients with a fever to phone before coming, so that they can be seen in a separate area or at a set time. Call, say netsu ga aru n desu ga, and follow their instructions. Opening hours and procedures differ, so check the clinic's website or call.

How long do you have to stay home with the flu in Japan?

It depends. Schools follow national guidelines for infectious diseases, which set a minimum period away from school, and your school will tell you exactly when your child can return and whether a form is needed. Companies set their own rules. Ask your school or employer, and follow your doctor's advice.

How do you say flu shot in Japanese?

A flu shot is infuru no yobō sesshu (予防接種) or simply infuru no wakuchin (ワクチン). Clinics usually take bookings from autumn. Ask infuru no yobō sesshu o yoyaku shitai n desu ga, I would like to book a flu vaccination.

Rehearse a clinic visit before you feel ill

Try the Describe Symptoms at a Clinic mission: AI Sensei plays the clinic staff and doctor, and you explain your fever and symptoms out loud until every objective is done.

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