I can go to a Japanese clinic: show my insurance card, say what hurts and since what day, understand the doctor's questions and “get well soon”, and at a pharmacy buy medicine, a mask, or a bandage and understand when to take the medicine.
病院と薬局
病院と薬局
The goal: handle a visit to a clinic and a pharmacy. You go to a clinic with your insurance card, usually with an appointment. You only need to say what hurts and since when.
At reception, うけつけ, they first ask about your ほけんしょう (health insurance card) and your よやく (appointment). Without insurance the visit costs several times more. You wait in the まちあいしつ, the waiting room; they call out your last name.
The doctor asks two questions. どうしましたか, “What's the matter?”: answer with what you know from module 7 — a body part with the particle が and いたいです, ねつがあります (a fever), かぜです (a cold). いつからですか, “Since when?”: answer with a day and から, the same から as in 9時から.
At the end the doctor says おだいじに, “Get well soon.” Answer ありがとうございます, not the casual ありがとう.
At a pharmacy, やっきょく, many things are sold without a prescription: かぜぐすり, めぐすり, ばんそうこう, マスク.
Medicine packages say 1日3回（いちにちさんかい）、食後（しょくご）に飲んで（のんで）ください: three times a day, after meals. You only need to recognize it.
Mention an allergy yourself: the word アレルギー with the verb あります, as with a fever.
Sounds: びょういん is a hospital, and its combined sound is one mora; びよういん is a hair salon. ん is a mora too.
Common mistakes:
• NOT ねつがいます — for a fever, use あります.
• NOT あたまをいたいです — what hurts takes が.
• NOT びょういんによやくをします、あした — the predicate goes last.
• NOT かぜがあります — for a cold, say かぜです.
What they ask at the clinic
All the questions are the staff's set phrases: you recognize them; you don't need to build them.
| Question | What it means |
|---|---|
| ほけんしょうはありますか | do you have your insurance card? |
| よやくはありますか | do you have an appointment? |
| どうしましたか | what's the problem? |
| いつからですか | since when? |
| おだいじに | get well soon (how the doctor says goodbye) |
What's written on the medicine
You recognize the label on the package; you don't need to build it.
| Sign | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1日3回（いちにちさんかい） | three times a day |
| 食後（しょくご） | after meals |
| かぜぐすり | taken for a cold |
| めぐすり | put in the eyes |
Lesson notes
病院と薬局
The goal: handle a visit to a clinic and a pharmacy. You go to a clinic with your insurance card, usually with an appointment. You only need to say what hurts and since when.
At reception, うけつけ, they first ask about your ほけんしょう (health insurance card) and your よやく (appointment). Without insurance the visit costs several times more. You wait in the まちあいしつ, the waiting room; they call out your last name.
The doctor asks two questions. どうしましたか, “What's the matter?”: answer with what you know from module 7 — a body part with the particle が and いたいです, ねつがあります (a fever), かぜです (a cold). いつからですか, “Since when?”: answer with a day and から, the same から as in 9時から.
At the end the doctor says おだいじに, “Get well soon.” Answer ありがとうございます, not the casual ありがとう.
At a pharmacy, やっきょく, many things are sold without a prescription: かぜぐすり, めぐすり, ばんそうこう, マスク.
Medicine packages say 1日3回（いちにちさんかい）、食後（しょくご）に飲んで（のんで）ください: three times a day, after meals. You only need to recognize it.
Mention an allergy yourself: the word アレルギー with the verb あります, as with a fever.
Sounds: びょういん is a hospital, and its combined sound is one mora; びよういん is a hair salon. ん is a mora too.
Common mistakes:
• NOT ねつがいます — for a fever, use あります.
• NOT あたまをいたいです — what hurts takes が.
• NOT びょういんによやくをします、あした — the predicate goes last.
• NOT かぜがあります — for a cold, say かぜです.