How to Say "Cancer" in Japanese

がん

gan

The Japanese word for cancer is がん (gan).

The word がん is a commonly used term for the disease caused by uncontrolled cellular proliferation.

Meaning: disease of uncontrolled cellular proliferation (noun)

Which one should you use?

While がん refers to the medical condition, you should use 蟹座 or かに座 to refer to the constellation Cancer.

gan

The word がん is believed to be an onomatopoeic term, originally intended to mimic the sound of a bell or an object being struck.
Patients and families in Japan sometimes use vague euphemisms instead of がん to avoid the perceived harshness or stigma of the word.
In modern medical pamphlets, you will often see がん written in hiragana or katakana rather than its kanji form to make it more accessible to the general public.

肺がんです。
You have lung cancer.
This sentence is useful for stating a diagnosis of lung cancer with がん.
Tatoeba #11825763 by small_snow, translation #10119200 by ddnktr
父はがんで死んだ。
My father died of cancer.
This sentence is useful for stating that someone died from the disease with がん.
Tatoeba #84737 by bunbuku, translation #251635 by CK
彼は肺がんで死んだ。
He died of lung cancer.
This sentence is useful for specifying that someone died from lung cancer with がん.
Tatoeba #101271 by bunbuku, translation #302426 by CK
がんの診断を受けたことを聞いて驚きました。どんなサポートが必要ですか？
I was surprised to hear about your cancer diagnosis. What kind of support do you need?
がんと闘っているあなたは本当に勇敢です。いつでも話を聞いていますよ。
You are truly brave for fighting against cancer. I'm here to listen anytime you want to talk.
がんは誰にでも起こりうる病気なので、周りの支援が大切です。
Since cancer can happen to anyone, support from those around you is crucial.
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Kenta and Himari are discussing a health news report.

健太 Kenta

がんのニュースを見た？
gan no nyūsu o mita?
Did you see the news about cancer?
陽葵 Himari

はい、とても心配な内容でした。
Hai, totemo shinpai na naiyō deshita.
Yes, it was very worrying content.
健太 Kenta

陽葵さんは健康に気をつけてる？
Himari-san wa kenkō ni ki o tsuketeru?
Are you taking care of your health, Himari?
陽葵 Himari

はい、健太さん、毎日運動しています。
Hai, Kenta-san, mainichi undō shite imasu.
Yes, Kenta, I exercise every day.

Sources

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