Lesson L9N3N3 Kanji in Context⏱ 25 min

Health and Body Kanji

This lesson introduces key N3-level kanji for discussing health and the human body. Each kanji is presented in common compounds and sentences, helping you recognize and use them in real-life medical or wellness contexts. Practice reading and writing these kanji while understanding their meanings in phrases like 医者 (doctor), 病気 (illness), 頭痛 (headache), and 体調 (physical condition).

🎯 Goal: Learn N3 kanji related to health and the body in context.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to read and understand 8 N3-level kanji related to health and the body, recognize them in common words and phrases, and use them in simple medical or health-related contexts.

Concept

Kanji for health and body parts often appear in hospitals, clinics, and everyday conversations about how you feel. These characters combine physical body parts (like 体 karada – body) with concepts of health (like 健 ken – healthy) and illness (like 病 byō – sickness). Mastering these will help you read medical forms, understand symptoms, and talk about your health more naturally.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. 体 (からだ / たい) – Body

On'yomi: たい (tai)
Kun'yomi: からだ (karada)
Meaning: Body
Stroke tip: Left radical is “person” (亻), right side is “original” (本). Think: a person’s original form is the body.
Example: 体調 (たいちょう, taichō) – physical condition

2. 健 (ケン / すこ.やか) – Healthy

On'yomi: ケン (ken)
Kun'yomi: すこ.やか (sukoyaka)
Meaning: Healthy, vigorous
Stroke tip: Left radical “person” (亻), right side is “building” (建). Imagine a healthy person building strength.
Example: 健康 (けんこう, kenkō) – health

3. 康 (コウ) – Peaceful, healthy

On'yomi: コウ (kō)
Kun'yomi: (rarely used alone)
Meaning: Peaceful, healthy
Stroke tip: Contains “room” (广) and “water” (水) with extra strokes. Think of a peaceful room with clean water for health.
Example: 健康 (けんこう, kenkō) – health (paired with 健)

4. 病 (ビョウ / や.む) – Sick, illness

On'yomi: ビョウ (byō)
Kun'yomi: や.む (yamu)
Meaning: Sickness, disease
Stroke tip: Left radical is “sickness” (疒), right side is “third” (丙). Imagine a sick person lying in bed (the radical looks like a bed).
Example: 病気 (びょうき, byōki) – illness

5. 医 (イ / い.やす) – Doctor, medicine

On'yomi: イ (i)
Kun'yomi: い.やす (iyasu) – to heal
Meaning: Doctor, medical treatment
Stroke tip: The radical on top is “arrow” (矢) inside a box (匚). Think of a doctor’s box of arrows (tools) for healing.
Example: 医者 (いしゃ, isha) – doctor

6. 痛 (ツウ / いた.い) – Pain

On'yomi: ツウ (tsū)
Kun'yomi: いた.い (itai)
Meaning: Pain, painful
Stroke tip: Left radical “sickness” (疒), right side is “through” (通). Pain goes through the body.
Example: 頭痛 (ずつう, zutsū) – headache

7. 血 (ケツ / ち) – Blood

On'yomi: ケツ (ketsu)
Kun'yomi: ち (chi)
Meaning: Blood
Stroke tip: Looks like a drop of blood on a plate (皿). One drop is enough.
Example: 血液 (けつえき, ketsueki) – blood (as a fluid)

8. 歯 (シ / は) – Tooth

On'yomi: シ (shi)
Kun'yomi: は (ha)
Meaning: Tooth, teeth
Stroke tip: Top part is “stop” (止) inside a mouth shape. Think: teeth stop food.
Example: 歯医者 (はいしゃ, haisha) – dentist

Mini Examples

Japanese	Romaji	English
体が痛いです。	Karada ga itai desu.	My body hurts.
健康が大事です。	Kenkō ga daiji desu.	Health is important.
病院に行きます。	Byōin ni ikimasu.	I go to the hospital.
血が出ました。	Chi ga demashita.	Blood came out.

Common Mistake

Confusing 体 (body) with 休 (rest).

体 has a line through the right side (本).
休 has a person leaning on a tree (木).
Tip: If you see a line through the bottom, it’s 体 (body). If it’s just a person next to a tree, it’s 休 (rest).

Quick Practice

Fill in the blank: 私は___者に行きます。 (I go to the doctor.)
Answer: 医 (いしゃ)
Which kanji means “pain”?
a) 血
b) 痛
c) 歯
Answer: b) 痛
Read this word: 歯痛 (hint: tooth + pain)
Answer: はいた (haita) – toothache

Summary and Next Step

You’ve learned 8 key kanji for health and the body: 体 (body), 健 (healthy), 康 (peaceful/healthy), 病 (sick), 医 (doctor), 痛 (pain), 血 (blood), and 歯 (tooth). Practice reading them in compound words like 健康診断 (けんこうしんだん, health checkup) and 血液検査 (けつえきけんさ, blood test).
Next step: Try writing each kanji 5 times while saying its readings aloud. Then, look for these kanji in a Japanese health website or app menu.