Health and Medicine Vocabulary

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and use 20 N2-level vocabulary words related to health, medicine, and daily life situations. You will understand how to talk about reports, changes, sales, and appearances in a medical or general context.

Health and medicine vocabulary at the N2 level often involves words that describe reports, changes, blockages, sales, and appearances. Many of these words share common kanji (e.g., 報 (hou) for "report," 増 (zou) for "increase," 変 (hen) for "change") and can be used in both medical and everyday settings. Understanding these patterns will help you guess the meaning of new words.報増変

1. Words with 報 (hou) — report, information

• 報告書 (ほうこくしょ, houkokusho) — (written) report
  • 報 = report, 告 = announce, 書 = document報告書
  報告書
• 報道 (ほうどう, houdou) — information; report; journalism; news
  • 報 = report, 道 = way/path (here: "way of reporting")報道
  報道

2. Words with 塞 (soku/sai) — to block/stop up

• 塞ぐ (ふさぐ, fusagu) — to stop up; to close up; to block; to occupy
  • Used for: covering ears/eyes, blocking a hole, taking up space
  • Medical use: 鼻を塞ぐ (hana o fusagu) — to block one's nose鼻塞
  塞鼻

3. Words with 増 (zou) — increase

• 増えつつある (ふえつつある, fuetsutsu aru) — increasing gradually
  • 増える (fueru) = to increase + つつある = in the process of増
  増
• 増大 (ぞうだい, zoudai) — enlargement; increase
  • 増 = increase, 大 = big増大
  増大
• 増減 (ぞうげん, zougen) — increase and decrease; fluctuation
  • 増 = increase, 減 = decrease増減
  増減

4. Words with 売 (bai) — sell

• 売り上げ (うりあげ, uriage) — amount sold; sales; proceeds; takings; turnover
  • 売り = selling, 上げ = raising (money raised)売上
  売上
• 売り切れ (うりきれ, urikire) — sold-out
  • 売り = selling, 切れ = cut (sold out completely)売切
  売切
• 売れ行き (うれゆき, ureyuki) — sales; demand
  • 売れ = being sold, 行き = going (how sales are going)売行
  売行

5. Words with 変 (hen) — change

• 変わった (かわった, kawatta) — another; different; unusual; novel; peculiar
  • Past tense of 変わる (kawaru) = to change → "changed" = "different/unusual"変
  変
• 変化しつつある (へんかしつつある, henka shitsutsu aru) — changing gradually
  • 変化 (henka) = change + しつつある = in the process of変化
  変化
• 変形 (へんけい, henkei) — transformation; variation; deformation; deformity
  • 変 = change, 形 = shape変形
  変形
• 変換 (へんかん, henkan) — change; conversion; transformation
  • 変 = change, 換 = exchange変換
  変換

6. Other useful words

• 塾 (じゅく, juku) — coaching school; cramming school塾
• 墓参り (はかまいり, hakamairi) — visit to a grave墓参
• 声援 (せいえん, seien) — (shout of) encouragement; cheering; support声援
• 夏期 (かき, kaki) — summer term/period夏期
• 夕日 (ゆうひ, yuuhi) — evening sun; setting sun夕日
• 外側 (そとがわ, sotogawa) — exterior; outside; outer; external外側
• 外見 (がいけん, gaiken) — outward appearance外見

1. 報告書を書きました。 (ほうこくしょをかきました, houkokusho o kakimashita) — I wrote a report.報告書
2. 鼻が塞がっています。 (はながふさがっています, hana ga fusagatteimasu) — My nose is blocked.鼻塞
3. 患者が増えつつある。 (かんじゃがふえつつある, kanja ga fuetsutsu aru) — The number of patients is gradually increasing.患者増
4. この薬は売り切れです。 (このくすりはうりきれです, kono kusuri wa urikire desu) — This medicine is sold out.薬売切
5. 彼の外見が変わった。 (かれのがいけんがかわった, kare no gaiken ga kawatta) — His appearance changed (became unusual).彼外見変

• Don't confuse 変わった (kawatta, "unusual/peculiar") with 変な (hen na, "strange/weird"). 変わった can mean "different" in a neutral or positive way (e.g., 変わったデザイン = unique design), while 変な is more negative (e.g., 変な人 = weird person).変人
• Don't mix up 増えつつある (gradually increasing) with 増えている (is increasing). つつある emphasizes the ongoing process, often used in formal or written contexts.増

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the lesson:

1. この店の___は去年より20%上がった。 (This store's sales went up 20% from last year.)
   Answer: 売り上げ (uriage)店去年上売

   店去年上売

2. 彼の___はとてもユニークだ。 (His outward appearance is very unique.)
   Answer: 外見 (gaiken)彼外見

   彼外見

3. 季節の___が体調に影響する。 (Seasonal changes affect one's physical condition.)
   Answer: 変化 (henka)季節体調影響

   季節体調影響

4. そのコンサートのチケットはもう___だ。 (That concert's tickets are already sold out.)
   Answer: 売り切れ (urikire)売切

   売切

You've learned 20 N2 vocabulary words related to health, medicine, reports, changes, and sales. Focus on the kanji patterns (報, 増, 変, 売) to help remember groups of words. In the next lesson, we'll practice using these words in longer medical conversations and learn related grammar patterns like つつある in more detail.報増変売