風邪ひいた！
かぜ　ひいた！
I caught a cold!

It doesn’t matter that I have one of my busiest weeks all year, germs don’t stop for anyone!

When you are feeling bad, you might want to tell someone, maybe even a doctor, how you are feeling. Colds have so many symptoms, so let’s use this as an opportunity to learn these words in Japanese.

Culture Note: In Japan, if you tell someone you have a cold or even just a sore throat, they will urge you to go to the doctor. I never understood this, because a doctor can’t do anything for you if you have the common cold, other than just tell you to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Maybe it's because Japan has cheap government healthcare, so they don’t hesitate to go to the doctor; or maybe it's because they just need any excuse at all to take it easy with the crazy working hours in this country. Either way, be prepared to fend off a million coworkers nagging you to go get checked out if you so much as sneeze in the office.

If you do end up at the doctor’s office, here is how you can describe your symptoms.

風邪をひきました。
かぜ　を　ひきました。
I caught a cold.
Literally: “cold + を +　caught (pulled)”

熱があります。
ねつ　が　あります。
I have a fever.
Literally: “fever + が + have”

寒気がします。
さむけ　が　します。
I have the chills.
Literally: “chills + が + happens”
Note: Usually する means “to do” but Xがする is a special case which indicates something happening. So 臭いがする（にさいがする） is a bad smell that happens, and 音がする（おとがする）is a sound that happens. The same in the above sentence, it has a connotation of “The chills are happening (to me).”

吐き気がします。
はきけ　が　します。
I feel nauseous.
Literally: “nausea + が + happens”

鼻水が出ます。
はなみず　が　でます。
My nose is running.
Literally: “snot + が + coming out”
Note: One of the grossest words in Japanese is 鼻水（はなみず）which literally means “nose + water” or snot.

声が出ません。
こえ　が　でません。
I lost my voice.
Literally: “voice + が + doesn’t come out”

頭が痛いです。
あたま　が　いたい　です。
My head hurts.
Literally: “head + が + hurts + です”

のどが痛いです。
のど　が　いたい　です。
My throat hurts.
Literally: “throat + が + hurts + です”

めまいがします。
めまい　が　します。
I feel dizzy.
Literally: “dizziness + が + happens”

咳が出ます。
せき　が　でます。
I have a cough.
Literally: “cough + が + coming out”

調子が悪いです。
ちょうし　が　わるい　です。
I feel bad.
Literally: “condition(body) + が + bad + です”

薬を飲みました。
くすり　を　のみました。
I took medicine.
Literally: “medicine + を + drank”

As you leave the doctor’s office, everyone will tell you:

お大事に！
おだいじに！
Get Well!

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This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: