How patients describe symptoms
The vocabulary gap for a clinician is not upward into terminology but downward into plain speech. Patients do not say the technical word; they say that something feels heavy, or throbs, or prickles, frequently using onomatopoeia that no medical dictionary contains.
This vocabulary is small and it is what a history actually consists of, which makes it the highest-value thing to learn first.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ズキズキ痛みます。 | Zukizuki itamimasu. | It throbs. |
| チクチクします。 | Chikuchiku shimasu. | It prickles. |
| 重い感じがします。 | Omoi kanji ga shimasu. | It feels heavy. |
| キリキリ痛みます。 | Kirikiri itamimasu. | A sharp, twisting pain. |
| だるいです。 | Darui desu. | I feel sluggish and heavy. |
| ムカムカします。 | Mukamuka shimasu. | I feel nauseous. |
These onomatopoeic descriptions are precise to a Japanese speaker and carry diagnostic information. They are worth learning as a set.
Taking a history
The structure of a history is the same as anywhere, and the Japanese for it is a set of standard questions. Having them fluent means the consultation flows and the patient is not managing your language as well as their symptoms.
Onset, character, duration, aggravating factors and previous episodes are the frame, and each has a conventional phrasing.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いつからですか。 | Itsu kara desu ka. | Since when? |
| どのように痛みますか。 | Dono yō ni itamimasu ka. | In what way does it hurt? |
| どのあたりが痛みますか。 | Dono atari ga itamimasu ka. | Whereabouts does it hurt? |
| 何かきっかけはありましたか。 | Nanika kikkake wa arimashita ka. | Was there anything that triggered it? |
| 以前にも同じことがありましたか。 | Izen ni mo onaji koto ga arimashita ka. | Has this happened before? |
| お薬は何か飲んでいますか。 | Okusuri wa nanika nonde imasu ka. | Are you taking any medication? |
Explaining a diagnosis
Explanation is a plain-Japanese skill and it is where clinicians who know the terminology still struggle. The technical word is not the goal; a patient who understands is.
The structure that works is the same as in any language: name it simply, say what it means for them, say what happens next, and check understanding.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 検査の結果をご説明します。 | Kensa no kekka o gosetsumei shimasu. | I will explain the test results. |
| 簡単に言うと、こういう状態です。 | Kantan ni iu to, kō iu jōtai desu. | Put simply, this is the situation. |
| 命に関わるものではありません。 | Inochi ni kakawaru mono de wa arimasen. | It is not life-threatening. |
| 今後の治療について説明します。 | Kongo no chiryō ni tsuite setsumei shimasu. | I will explain the treatment from here. |
| ここまでで、ご質問はありますか。 | Koko made de, goshitsumon wa arimasu ka. | Do you have questions so far? |
| 分かりにくいところはありませんか。 | Wakarinikui tokoro wa arimasen ka. | Is there anything unclear? |
Checking understanding partway through rather than at the end is what catches a misunderstanding while it is still small.
Consent
Consent conversations are documented and are expected to be thorough. The structure is consistent: what the procedure is, why it is proposed, what the risks are, what the alternatives are, and confirmation that the patient has understood.
Family members are frequently present, and confirming who should be there is worth doing before rather than during.
| Element | What to cover | Note |
|---|---|---|
| The procedure | What will happen | In plain words |
| The reason | Why it is proposed | Link to their symptoms |
| The risks | What could go wrong | Including likelihood |
| Alternatives | Other options | Including doing nothing |
| Understanding | Confirm it | Ask them to summarise |
| Documentation | Signature | And who was present |
Asking the patient to summarise back is the most reliable check, and it is worth the extra minute for anything significant.
Speaking with families
Family involvement in medical decisions is common in Japan, particularly for older patients and serious diagnoses, and the conversation with the family is often as substantial as the one with the patient.
Establishing early who should be present, and what the patient wants shared, avoids the more difficult version of this conversation later.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ご家族の方にもご説明しましょうか。 | Gokazoku no kata ni mo gosetsumei shimashō ka. | Shall I explain to your family as well? |
| どなたに来ていただくのがよいでしょうか。 | Donata ni kite itadaku no ga yoi deshō ka. | Who would it be best to have come in? |
| ご本人にはどこまでお伝えしますか。 | Gohonnin ni wa doko made otsutae shimasu ka. | How much should be conveyed to the patient? |
| ご心配なことはありますか。 | Goshinpai na koto wa arimasu ka. | Is there anything worrying you? |
| 時間をかけて考えていただいて結構です。 | Jikan o kakete kangaete itadaite kekkō desu. | Please take your time to think about it. |
| いつでもご相談ください。 | Itsudemo gosōdan kudasai. | Please consult me at any time. |
Practising the half that study does not cover
Terminology can be studied from a list. What cannot is the consultation itself: a patient describing something vaguely, asking a question you did not anticipate, or becoming distressed at an explanation.
That half needs roleplay. Running a consultation with an AI Sensei in Unihongo's immersive 3D classroom, where the patient uses plain words and asks the questions patients actually ask, rehearses exactly what a vocabulary list cannot, and it is spoken, which is how the consultation happens.
The explanation is worth practising most. Being able to say a diagnosis in plain Japanese, without the technical term, is a specific skill and one that the terminology can actually get in the way of.
Learn the patient's vocabulary before the textbook's. It is smaller, it is what you will hear, and it is not in the medical dictionary.