健康
kenkō[kẽ̞ŋko̞ː]
The Japanese word for health is 健康 (kenkō).
健康 refers to the state of being free from physical or psychological disease, illness or malfunction. While 健康 is the standard noun for health, other terms are used depending on the context: 健やか (sukoyaka) describes good health and vitality, 容態 (youtai) is used in medical contexts to describe a person's condition, 調子 (choushi) describes someone's overall condition and 体調 (taichou) refers to one's physical condition in a more casual manner.
Meaning: state of being free of physical or psychological disease, illness, or malfunction (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, you can use 健康. To use it as an adjective to describe a noun, use the form 健康な. To describe an action being done in a healthy manner or for the sake of health, use the adverbial form 健康に.
How do you pronounce it?
kenkō
When do people say it?
When expressing concern for someone's well-being, you might use the phrase 大丈夫? (Are you okay?) with close friends or family. If someone is unwell, you can say お大事に (Take care or Get well soon) or use the more formal ご自愛ください (Take care of yourself).
Did you know?
- The formal wish for health ご自愛ください uses the character 愛, meaning 'love', to literally tell the recipient to 'love yourself' to stay healthy.
- The concept of 'health' in Japanese culture is deeply tied to the annual 'kenko-shindan' (health check-up), a ritualized event that is a standard part of Japanese corporate life.
- The phrase お大事に used for the sick is an abbreviated form of お大事になさってください, which literally asks the person to 'treat the matter as important'.
Examples in context
- 健康が第一だ。Nothing is more important than health.This sentence emphasizes that health is the highest priority.Tatoeba #175535 by bunbuku, translation #238930 by CK
- 健康は宝です。Health is an asset.This sentence describes health as an asset.Tatoeba #10531329 by small_snow, translation #10571177 by terrywallwork
- 彼は健康そうだ。He seems to be in good health.This sentence is used to describe someone who appears to be in good health.Tatoeba #107762 by bunbuku, translation #1701406 by Scott
- 私の健康は大切ですMy health is important.
- ご容態はいかがですかHow is your condition?
- 元気ですかAre you doing well?
- 最近の調子はどう?How have you been feeling lately?
- 体調が悪いI'm not feeling well.
- 140 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their daily habits.
- 大翔 Hiroto最近、健康に気を使っているんだ。Saikin, kenkou ni ki o tsukatte iru n da.I've been paying attention to my health lately.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね。何か始めたんですか？Ii desu ne. Nanika hajimeta n desu ka?That's good. Did you start something new?
- 大翔 Hiroto毎日、野菜をたくさん食べるようにしているよ。Mainichi, yasai o takusan taberu you ni shite iru yo.I'm trying to eat plenty of vegetables every day.
- 結衣 Yui健康的な生活は大切ですね。Kenkou teki na seikatsu wa taisetsu desu ne.A healthy lifestyle is important, isn't it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “health” translations and entries 健康, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
