Body, Health, and Feelings Vocabulary

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to name key body parts, describe common health issues, and express basic feelings in Japanese. This vocabulary is essential for daily conversations, doctor visits, and understanding simple Japanese media.

In Japanese, body parts, health, and feelings are expressed with specific nouns and adjectives. You will learn the most common words, how to use them in simple sentences, and how to combine them with the verb あります (arimasu - "there is/have") and いたいです (itai desu - "it hurts").

1. Body Parts (からだのぶぶん - karada no bubun)

2. Health Words (けんこう - kenkō)

3. Feelings (きもち - kimochi)

Body Parts in Sentences

• あたまがいたいです。 (Atama ga itai desu.) - My head hurts.
• おなかがすきました。 (Onaka ga sukimashita.) - I got hungry.
• てをあらってください。 (Te o aratte kudasai.) - Please wash your hands.

Health Sentences

• かぜをひきました。 (Kaze o hikimashita.) - I caught a cold.
• ねつがあります。 (Netsu ga arimasu.) - I have a fever.
• くすりをのみました。 (Kusuri o nomimashita.) - I took medicine.

Feelings Sentences

• うれしいです。 (Ureshii desu.) - I'm happy.
• かなしいです。 (Kanashii desu.) - I'm sad.
• ねむいです。 (Nemui desu.) - I'm sleepy.
• げんきですか？ (Genki desu ka?) - Are you well?

Mixing up あたま (atama - head) and かみ (kami - hair)

• ❌ かみがいたいです。 (Kami ga itai desu.) - "My hair hurts" (sounds strange unless you mean each strand!)
• ✅ あたまがいたいです。 (Atama ga itai desu.) - "My head hurts."

Using いたい (itai) incorrectly

• ❌ おなかがいたいです。 (Onaka ga itai desu.) - This is actually correct for "stomach hurts," but beginners often forget the particle が (ga).
• ✅ おなかがいたいです。 (Onaka ga itai desu.) - Correct.

Confusing かぜ (kaze - wind/cold) with かぜ (kaze - a different word)

• かぜ can mean both "wind" and "cold (illness)." Context tells you which one:
  • かぜがつよい (Kaze ga tsuyoi) - The wind is strong.
  • かぜをひいた (Kaze o hiita) - I caught a cold.

Fill in the Blanks

1. ___ がいたいです。 (My ___ hurts.) - Choose: あたま (head), おなか (stomach), て (hand)

   • Answer: あたま (atama)

2. ___ をのみました。 (I took ___.)

   • Answer: くすり (kusuri)

3. ___ ですか？ (Are you ___?) - Choose: うれしい (happy), げんき (well), ねむい (sleepy)

   • Answer: げんき (genki)

Translate to Japanese

4. "I have a fever."

   • Answer: ねつがあります。 (Netsu ga arimasu.)

5. "I'm tired."

   • Answer: つかれています。 (Tsukarete imasu.)

You have learned:

• 15+ body part words (あたま, て, おなか, etc.)
• 10 health-related words (かぜ, ねつ, くすり, etc.)
• 8 feeling words (うれしい, かなしい, ねむい, etc.)
• How to say something hurts: ___ がいたいです
• How to describe a condition: ___ があります (I have ) / ** です** (I am ___)

Next Step: Practice using these words in short conversations. Try describing how you feel today in Japanese! For example: "きょうは あたまがいたいです。でも げんきです。" (Today my head hurts, but I'm well.)

Ready for the next lesson? You can learn how to ask "What's wrong?" (どうしましたか - Dō shimashita ka?) and give simple reasons for health problems.