In today lesson, you will learn some common words i.e. vocabulary and expressions related to the coronavirus (i.e. COVID-19) in Japanese.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. The content is solely for the purpose of teaching and learning of Japanese vocabulary relating to COVID-19.
コロナウイルスについての記事を読むときに必要な言葉を勉強しましょう。<form.>
korona uirusu ni tsuite no kiji wo yomu toki ni hitsuyouna kotoba wo benkyou shi mashou
Let’s learn the words needed to read articles about the coronavirus.
This video should help you to read news in regards to the current situation and to talk about it in Japanese.
INTRODUCTION
First, let’s start with the name of the coronavirus in Japanese.
Most Japanese will refer the coronavirus as, コロナウイルス korona uirusu or in short, コロナ korona (coronavirus).
Breakdown
ウイルス uirusu (virus)
However the name of the coronavirus, the official term, that you will commonly find in the news or articles will be,
新型コロナウイルス感染症 shin gata korona uirusu kansen shou
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) lit. New-style Coronavirus Infectious Disease
Breakdown
新型 shin gata (new style)
感染 kansen (infection) → 感染する kansen suru (to infect)
With the name of the coronavirus out of the way, we will now look at various expressions used in regards.
感染が広がる。 <inf.> kansen ga hirogaru
Infection spreads.
In this case, you will also often hear ‘to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading’,
新型コロナウイルスが広がらないように。shin gata korona uirusu ga hirogaranai you ni
To prevent the new coronavirus from spreading.
Sentence breakdown
広がる hirogaru (to spread) → 広がらない hirogaranai (to not spread; negation)
〜ように you ni (in order not to ~)
Note:
Negation + ように you ni = in order NOT to
新型コロナウイルスの拡大を防ぐために shin gata korona uirusu no kakudai wo fusegu tame ni
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Sentence breakdown
拡大 kaku dai (expansion); another expression for 広がる hirogaru (to spread)
防ぐ fusegu (to prevent)
〜ために tame ni (in order to ~)
Note:
Affirmative + ために tame ni = in order to
PREVENTION
Moving on, we will learn terms related to preventing COVID-19 from spreading.
新型コロナウイルス感染の拡大を防ぐためにすべきこと。
shin gata korona uirusu kansen no kakudai wo fusegu tame ni subeki koto
What we should do to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading.
Sentence breakdown
すべき subeki (should)
すべきこと subeki koto (things you should do)
If you are reading the Japanese news or article covering on COVID-19, you will definitely come across,
新型コロナウイルス感染の対策 shin gata korona uirusu kansen no taisaku
Breakdown
対策 taisaku (countermeasure)
By now, most English speaking countries/individuals would already know what ‘social-distancing’ is, but it is not the case in Japan or the Japanese.
To begin with, Japanese are not ‘touchy’ people in general. Reason being, it is not in the culture to hug or kiss when they greet one and other.
日本人は挨拶をするときにハグしたりキスしたりしません。<form.>
nihon-jin wa aisatsu wo suru toki ni hagu shitari kisu shitari shi masen
Japanese people don’t hug or kiss when greeting.
Sentence breakdown
挨拶をする aisatsu wo suru (to do greeting)
〜ときに toki ni (when)
ハグする hagu suru (to hug)
キスする kisu suru (to kiss)
Anyway, for the purpose of translation, ‘social-distancing’ can be translated to be,
社会的距離を置く shakai teki kyo ri wo oku (‘social distancing’ lit. to keep a social distance)
But most (Japanese) will not understand this term, as there is no such term for ‘social-distancing’ in Japan. Instead, using the essence of this term, it would mean avoiding crowds in a more layman term.
人混みを避けましょう。<form.> hito gomi wo sake mashō
Let’s stay away from crowds.
Sentence breakdown
人混み hito gomi (crowd)
避ける sakeru (to avoid) → 避けましょう sake mashō (let’s avoid)
Another useful phrase to remember amidst this coronavirus situation,
外出を避ける gaishutsu wo sakeru
To avoid going out
Sentence breakdown
外出 gaishutsu (going out; noun) ＝ 出かける dekakeru (to go out; verb)
高齢者は外出を避けるべきです。<form.> koureisha wa gaishutsu wo sakeru beki desu
Senior citizens should avoid going out.
Next, 人混み hito gomi (crowd) can be found in 大勢の人が集まるイベント ōzei no hito ga atsumaru ibento (events where a lot of people gather).
Note:
大勢の人ōzai no hito (expression typically used in news articles) = 多くの人 ōku no hito (a lot of people)
大勢の人が集まるイベントもキャンセルされています。<form.>
ōzei no hito ga atsumaru ibento mo kyanseru saretei masu
Events where a lot of people gather have been canceled as well.
例えば、卒業式も中止になりました。<form.>
tatoeba sotsugyou shiki mo chūshi ni nari mashita
For example, the graduation ceremonies have been canceled as well.
Not limited to events being held, offices and schools are also forced to shut down. However, majority of the people are still going to work because ‘working from home’ is still not yet a norm in the working society in Japan.
日本では在宅勤務はまだ珍しいです。
nihon de wa zaitaku kinmu wa mada mezurashii desu
It’s still uncommon to work from home in Japan.
Sentence breakdown
在宅勤務 zaitaku kinmu (work from home)
珍しい mezurashii (rare, uncommon)
コロナのせいで休校になった。<inf.>
korona no seide kyūkō ni natta
新型コロナウイルスのため休校になりました。<form.>
shin gata korona uirusu no tame kyūkō ni nari mashita
Schools are closed / shut down due to COVID-19.
Sentence breakdown
休校 kyūkō (closure of school)
〜のせいで no sei de (because of; with nuance of blame)
〜のため no tame (due to)
コロナのせいで一日中うちにいなきゃ。<inf.> korona no sei de ichi nichi jū uchi ni inakya
I have to stay home all day because of COVID-19.
On top of that, shops and restaurants are also closed.
カフェもレストランも休業しています。<form.> kafe mo resutoran mo kyūgyou shitei masu
Cafes and restaurants are closed temporarily.
Sentence breakdown
休業 kyūgyō (temporary closure of businesses and stores)
Instead of full closure, some stores continue their operations but change their operating hours. In this sense, you may find their notification in the form of notices.
新型コロナウイルス感染防止による営業時間変更のお知らせ
shin gata korona uirusu kansen bōshi ni yoru eigyō jikan henkō no oshirase
Notice on business hours change for the prevention of COVID-19
Sentence breakdown
営業時間 eigyō jikan (business hours)
変更 henkō (change; noun) ＝ 変える kaeru (to change)
営業時間が変更になりました。<form.> eigyō jikan ga henkō ni nari mashita
The business hours have changed.
Note：
変更になりました henkō ni nari mashita (changed; beyond control due to situational circumstances)
vs. 変わりました kawari mashita (changed; initiated)
ACTIONS
Following are some other things you can do to play a part to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
他にできること hoka ni dekiru koto (other things we can do)
手を洗う。<inf.> te wo arau
To wash hands.
手を洗いましょう。<form.> te wo arai mashō
Let’s wash hands.
Sentence breakdown
洗う arau (to wash) → 洗いましょう arai mashō (let’s wash)
手洗い、うがいを忘れずに。tearai ugai wo wasure zuni
Don’t forget to wash your hands and gargle.
帰ったら、手を洗って、うがいをしてください。<form.>
kaettara te wo aratte ugai wo shite kudasai
Please wash your hands and gargle when you come home.
Sentence breakdown
手洗い tearai (washing one’s hands; noun)
うがい ugai (gargling, rinsing one’s mouth)
忘れないでください wasure nai de kudasai (please don’t forget) = 忘れずに wasure zuni (don’t forget; usually found in notices)
マスクをしてください。 <form.> masuku wo shite kudasai
Please wear a mask.
Sentence breakdown
マスク masuku (mask)
マスクをする masuku wo suru (to wear mask)
マスクが必要なのに、売り切れてる！ <inf.> masuku ga hitsuyōna no ni urikireteru
マスクが必要なのに、売り切れています。<form.> masuku ga hitsuyōna no ni urikiretei masu
We need masks but they are sold out!
Now that we are on the topic, let’s talk about ‘panic buying’ 買い占め kai shime (to buy up, to panic buy), with many people buying up masks, toilet papers and disinfectants, etc in the market currently.
トイレットペーパーを買い占める。<inf.> toirettopēpā wo kaishimeru
To buy up toilet paper
Note:
Another way to describe the situation is 買い溜め kai dame (stocking up, in anticipation that price will go up or product will get sold out)
Linguistically, 買い溜め kai dame more aptly describe the current situation. However, the more common word you will see / hear now is 買い占め kai shime.
買い占めを自粛してください。<form.> kai shime wo jishuku shide kudasai
Please refrain from panic buying.
Sentence breakdown
自粛する jishuku suru (to refrain)
Anyway, if you did not manage to get your own supply of masks,
自分でマスクを作ることができます。<form.> jibun de masuku wo tsukuru koto ga deki masu
You can make masks yourself.
マスクを自分している人が増えています。<form.>
masuku wo jibun shiteiru hito ga fuetei masu
More people are making masks themselves.
Note:
自分している jibun shiteiru = 自作している jisaku shiteiru (to make by oneself)
SYMPTOMS
新型コロナウイルス感染の症状shin gata korona uirusu kansen no shōjyō
Now, let’s talk about the symptoms 症状 shōjyō of the coronavirus.
- 咳が出る seki ga deru (to have a cough lit. a cough comes out; more applicable in this case) vs. 咳をする seki wo suru (to cough)
- 発熱 hatsu netsu (attack of fever; generally more formal) vs. 熱 netsu (fever)
- 喉の痛み nodo no itami (sore throat, throat pain)
- 体のだるさ karada no darusa (tiredness, body feeling heavy)
- 息苦しさ ikigurushisa (suffocating feeling, stifling)
Other than these symptoms, you might also get pneumonia from the new coronavirus, 肺炎にかかる haien ni kakaru (to get pneumonia).
ACTIONS
若くて、健康な人は大丈夫かもしれませんが、
wakakute kenkōna hito wa daijyōbu kamo shiremasen ga,
高齢者や免疫力が低い人には感染したら、危ないので
kōreisha ya menekiryoku ga hikui hito ni wa kansen shitara abunai node
気をつけてください。
ki wo tsukete kudasai
The young and healthy people might be fine but it’s dangerous for the elderly and people with weakened immune systems if they get infected so please be careful.
Sentence breakdown
高齢者 kōreisha (the elderly; formal) = お年寄り otoshiyori (the elderly; polite)
免疫力 menekiryoku (immune systems)
With that, these are some of the vocabulary and expressions related to COVID-19.
本当に大変な状況ですから、みんなで支えあっていきましょう。
hontō ni taihenna jyōkyō desu kara, minna de sasae atte iki mashou
It’s a really tough situation so let’s keep supporting each other!
