健康
kenkō[kẽ̞ŋko̞ː]
In Japanese, good health is 健康 (kenkō).
健康 is a noun used to describe the state of being free from illness or injury. You can use it to talk about things that are beneficial to your well-being, such as 健康に良い (good for one's health).
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 健 (ken), which means healthy, strong or robust.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 健康 as an adjective to describe a noun, you must add the particle な to form 健康な. In formal or written contexts, the noun is often followed by である to express the state of being in good health, resulting in 健康である.
How do you pronounce it?
kenkō
When do people say it?
When checking in on someone, you can use お変わりありませんか？ to ask 'How are you?' or the more casual お元気？ A common response to these greetings is うん、元気だよ！ (Yeah, I'm fine!).
Did you know?
- While 健康 describes overall physical health, the word 元気 (genki) literally means 'original energy' and is used more frequently in daily greetings.
- In Japan, the concept of 健康 is often linked to 健診 (kenshin), referring to the mandatory annual health check-ups provided by most employers and schools.
- When wishing someone good health in a formal letter, it is customary to use highly stylized seasonal greetings before mentioning 健康.
Examples in context
- 彼は健康そうだ。He seems to be in good health.This sentence uses 健康 to show how someone appears to be in good health.Tatoeba #107762 by bunbuku, translation #1701406 by Scott
- 私は健康に恵まれている。I am blessed with good health.This sentence uses 健康 to describe being blessed with good health.Tatoeba #157312 by bunbuku, translation #257222 by CC
- 彼は去年の夏は健康だった。He was in good health last summer.This sentence uses 健康 to describe a person's state of health in the past.Tatoeba #108424 by bunbuku, translation #295262 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two siblings are talking about their grandfather's lifestyle.
- 陽葵 Himariおじいちゃんは、いつも健康ですね。Ojiichan wa, itsumo kenkou desu ne.Grandfather is always in good health, isn't he?
- 陽太 Yota毎日、散歩をしているからですよ。Mainichi, sanpo o shite iru kara desu yo.It is because he walks every day.
- 陽葵 Himari私も陽太のように、健康になりたいな。Watashi mo Youta no you ni, kenkou ni naritai na.I want to be healthy like you, Youta.
- 陽太 Yota野菜をたくさん食べたほうがいいよ。Yasai o takusan tabeta hou ga ii yo.You should eat plenty of vegetables.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 健康, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
