頭痛がします
zutsū ga shimasu
To say "I have a headache" in Japanese, you can use 頭痛がします (zutsū ga shimasu). Wiktionary also lists 頭が痛いです (atama ga itai desu).
Meaning: I have a headache (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 頭痛がします | zutsū ga shimasu |
| 頭が痛いです | atama ga itai desu |
The phrase is used to express that you are experiencing a headache. The word 頭痛 (zutsū) specifically means 'headache'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 頭痛がします literally means 'a headache occurs' or 'a headache is performed'.
Which one should you use?
頭痛がします is a more formal and clinical way to express the sensation, often used when describing a specific medical symptom to a doctor. In contrast, 頭が痛いです is a more common, descriptive way to say "my head hurts" in daily conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the descriptive phrase informal, you can drop the polite です (desu) ending to say 頭が痛い.
How do you pronounce it?
zutsū ga shimasu
Did you know?
- When speaking to a doctor, a patient might use ズキズキ (zuki zuki), an onomatopoeic word, to describe the throbbing nature of their 頭痛.
- The phrase 頭が痛い (atama ga itai) is frequently used as a metaphor for any situation that is causing a person stress or a 'headache' to solve.
- Japanese has a specific term called 気圧頭痛 (kiatsu zutsū), which refers to a 'weather headache' caused by changes in barometric pressure.
Examples in context
- 頭痛がします。I have a headache.This sentence is useful for stating that you have a headache.Tatoeba #123823 by bunbuku, translation #1712 by CK
- ひどい頭痛がします。Hidoi zutsu ga shimasu.I have a terrible headache.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are at the office.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さん、大丈夫ですか？Kenta-san, daijōbu desu ka?Kenta, are you okay?
- 健太 Kentaすみません、急に頭痛がします。sumimasen, kyū ni zutsū ga shimasu.Sorry, I suddenly have a headache.
- 美咲 Misaki薬を飲みますか？kusuri o nomimasu ka?Will you take some medicine?
- 健太 Kentaはい、お願いします。hai, onegaishimasu.Yes, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I have a headache” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
