Visible signs
Collocations, Stage 4chunk 16 of 25Body & health
What shows on your body or someone else's: an injury, blood, sweat, a pale or flushed face. These are often followed by daijoubu?
- kega o suruget hurt, get injured
- chi ga derubleed, be bleeding
- ase o kakusweat, get sweaty
- kaoiro ga waruilook pale, look unwell
- kao ga akaibe red in the face
Mix-ups An injury takes suru (kega o suru), and blood comes out just like a fever does (chi ga deru, chi deteru yo). Sweat takes kaku (ase o kaku), which is not kaku 'write'. A pale face is kaoiro ga warui (bad colour), while a red face is just kao ga akai.
kega o suru
polite kega o shimasuget hurt, get injured
怪我をする けがをする 怪我をします
verbsuru するdo, make; here it turns the noun kega (injury) into something that happenstypical 80% of kega
trap Not itaku naru or kizutsuku (mostly hurt feelings): an injury is 'done', kega o suru, even by accident.
Heard as kega shita (I got hurt) and as the worried kega nai? (you're not hurt?) after a fall. Name the body part with o and drop kega's own o (ashi o kega shita), or use ni (ashi ni kega o shita); never two o's.
sakkaa de ashi kega shichatta.
I hurt my leg playing football.
サッカーで足怪我しちゃった。
sakkaa de ashi o kega shita n desu.
I hurt my leg playing football.
サッカーで足を怪我したんです。
Same verb: yakedo (burn), nenza (sprain)Main list: suru (Stage 1), itai (Stage 2)
chi ga deru
polite chi ga demasubleed, be bleeding
血が出る ちがでる 血が出ます
verbderu 出るcome out, appear; also leave, go outtypical 8% of chi
trap 'Bleed' is one verb in English; Japanese says blood comes out, chi ga deru (chi deteru yo). Shukketsu suru is the medical word.
Said when you spot a cut: chi deteru yo (you're bleeding), or chi deta (it bled). Ga often drops in casual talk, and when it stops the blood tomaru (chi tomatta?).
are, yubi kara chi deteru yo.
Hey, your finger's bleeding.
あれ、指から血出てるよ。
are, yubi kara chi ga dete imasu yo.
Oh, your finger is bleeding.
あれ、指から血が出ていますよ。
A nosebleed has its own word: hanaji ga deru (hanaji deteru yo).
Same verb: namida (tears), ase (sweat), hanamizu (runny nose)Learn alongside: netsu ga aru, netsu ga deru, seki ga deru, hanamizu ga deru, arerugii ga aruMain list: deru (Stage 1)
ase o kaku
polite ase o kakimasusweat, get sweaty
汗をかく あせをかく 汗をかきます
verbkaku かくscratch; with sweat or snoring it means to give something off from the bodytypical 53% of ase
trap 'Sweat' is a verb in English, but Japanese uses the noun with kaku: ase o kaku, not ase suru (ase ga deru, 'sweat comes out', is also fine). This kaku is not kaku 'write'.
Mostly heard in the past, ase kaita or ase kaichatta (I got all sweaty), after heat or exercise. For dripping with sweat natives say asedaku: asedaku ni natta.
ase kaita kara, shawaa abitai.
I'm all sweaty, I want a shower.
汗かいたから、シャワー浴びたい。
ase o kaita node, shawaa o abite kite mo ii desu ka?
I got all sweaty. Would it be OK if I had a shower?
汗をかいたので、シャワーを浴びてきてもいいですか？
The same kaku goes with embarrassment: haji kaita (I embarrassed myself).
Same verb: ibiki (snoring)
kaoiro ga warui
polite kaoiro ga warui desulook pale, look unwell
顔色が悪い かおいろがわるい 顔色が悪いです
adjectivewarui 悪いbad, in poor conditiontypical 55% of kaoiro
trap Not kao ga shiroi, which sounds like fair skin: 'you look pale' is kaoiro ga warui (kaoiro warui yo). Kao ga aoi also works and sounds stronger; kao ga massao is white as a sheet, from shock, fear or feeling very sick.
A caring remark to someone who looks ill, kaoiro warui yo, usually followed by daijoubu? Ga often drops, and when they look better it's kaoiro yoku natta ne.
kaoiro warui yo. daijoubu?
You look pale. Are you OK?
顔色悪いよ。大丈夫？
kaoiro ga warui desu yo. daijoubu desu ka?
You look pale. Are you all right?
顔色が悪いですよ。大丈夫ですか？
Kaoiro o ukagau (read someone's face) is a separate idiom: checking their mood before you act.
Same adjective: guai (condition: guai ga warui = feel unwell), taichou (physical condition), kesshoku (complexion, more formal)Learn alongside: kimochi ga warui, kigen ga warui, guai ga warui, taichou ga warui, choushi ga warui, choushi ga ii, kibun ga waruiMain list: warui (Stage 1), -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4)
kao ga akai
polite kao ga akai desube red in the face
顔が赤い かおがあかい 顔が赤いです
adjectiveakai 赤いredtypical <1% of kao
trap 'Blush' has no single everyday verb: the face goes red, kao ga akaku naru, or you tereru (get bashful); sekimen suru is bookish.
Said to someone flushed from drink, a fever or embarrassment, often teasing: kao akai yo. Ga usually drops; going red as it happens is kao ga akaku naru (kao akaku natteru).
kao akai yo. yotta?
Your face is red. Are you drunk?
顔赤いよ。酔った？
kao ga akai desu yo. yotta n desu ka?
Your face is red. Have you been drinking?
顔が赤いですよ。酔ったんですか？
Tereru (get bashful) is the verb behind most blushing: tereteru no?
Same adjective: me (eyes: me ga akai = red eyes), hana (nose), mimi (ears)Main list: -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4)