Doctor and medicine
Collocations, Stage 2chunk 16 of 24Body & health
Getting treated: going to the doctor, taking medicine and the medicine working.
- byouin ni ikusee a doctor
- kusuri o nomutake medicine
- kusuri ga kikumedicine works, takes effect
Mix-ups English 'see' and 'take' pull toward miru and toru, but a doctor visit is byouin ni iku and medicine is drunk, kusuri o nomu. The kiku in kusuri ga kiku (it works) sounds the same as kiku 'hear, ask'.
byouin ni iku
polite byouin ni ikimasusee a doctor
病院に行く びょういんにいく 病院に行きます
verbiku 行くgotypical 25% of byouin
trap English 'hospital' sounds serious, but byouin is any clinic: for a cold you still go to the byouin, byouin ni iku. Isha ni iku also works; isha o miru or isha ni au doesn't.
The normal way to say 'see a doctor', often as advice: byouin itta hou ga ii yo. Casual speech usually drops ni: byouin itta?
sore, byouin itta hou ga ii yo.
You should get that looked at by a doctor.
それ、病院行った方がいいよ。
sore, byouin ni itta hou ga ii desu yo.
You should have a doctor look at that.
それ、病院に行った方がいいですよ。
Byouin de mite morau (get it looked at) is the other natural way.
Same verb: haisha (dentist), isha (doctor)Main list: iku (Stage 1), au (Stage 3), miru (Stage 2)
kusuri o nomu
polite kusuri o nomimasutake medicine
薬を飲む くすりをのむ 薬を飲みます
verbnomu 飲むdrink, swallowtypical 20% of kusuri
trap Not kusuri o toru, which would mean fetching it: medicine is 'drunk', kusuri o nomu, even pills.
Used for pills, powders and syrups alike, often as a check: kusuri nonda? (did you take your medicine?).
kusuri nonde, hayaku nete ne.
Take your medicine and get to bed early.
薬飲んで、早く寝てね。
kusuri o nonde, yukkuri yasunde kudasai ne.
Take your medicine and get some rest.
薬を飲んで、ゆっくり休んでくださいね。
Eye drops take sasu (megusuri o sasu); cream takes nuru (kusuri o nuru). When it works, the medicine kiku: kono kusuri, yoku kiku (this medicine works well).
Same verb: sapuri (supplements), kazegusuri (cold medicine)Learn alongside: shawaa o abiru, ofuro ni hairu, shashin o toru, jikan ga kakaru, jikan ga tatsu, tema ga kakaru, onsen ni hairu (Stage 3), jikan o toru (Stage 4)Main list: nomu (Stage 2), toru (Stage 4)
kusuri ga kiku
polite kusuri ga kikimasumedicine works, takes effect
薬が効く くすりがきく 薬が効きます
verbkiku 効くtake effect, work (medicine, air con, a remedy); sounds the same as kiku 'listen, ask'typical 4% of kusuri
trap Not kusuri ga hataraku: medicine 'takes effect', kusuri ga kiku, which sounds just like kiku 'listen'.
Asked after a pill as kusuri kiita? and said as it kicks in, kusuri kiite kita. Ga often drops; when the effect wears off, the medicine kireru (kusuri ga kireta).
kusuri kiite kita. daibu raku.
The medicine's kicking in. I feel much better.
薬効いてきた。だいぶ楽。
kusuri ga kiite kimashita. daibu raku ni narimashita.
The medicine is starting to work. I feel much better.
薬が効いてきました。だいぶ楽になりました。
Kiku~! is also what people say when wasabi or a strong drink hits.
Same verb: eakon (air con: eakon kiitenai = the AC isn't doing anything), chuusha (injection), massaaji (massage)Learn alongside: netsu ga sagaru, kaze ga naoru, tsukare ga toreruMain list: kiku (Stage 2), -te kuru (Stage 4)