喉頭炎
koutouen
Laryngitis in Japanese is 喉頭炎, pronounced koutouen.
喉頭炎 is a noun used to describe the medical condition of inflammation of the larynx.
Meaning: inflammation of the larynx (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
koutouen
Did you know?
- While 喉頭炎 is the medical term, Japanese people often use 喉が枯れる to describe the raspy voice caused by laryngitis, which literally means 'the throat withers'.
- In Japanese medical contexts, the 'head' (頭) in 喉頭 refers to the anatomical structure of the larynx, whereas in daily life, 'head' (頭) almost exclusively refers to the skull.
- The kanji for 'inflammation', 炎, looks exactly like a stylized flame, which visually mimics the heat or burning sensation associated with the condition.
Examples in context
- 喉が痛くて声も出ないんだ。My throat hurts, and I can't speak.
- 喉頭炎の症状があります。koutouen no shoujou ga arimasu.I have symptoms of laryngitis.
- 彼は喉頭炎と診断されました。kare wa koutouen to shindan saremashita.He was diagnosed with laryngitis.
- 喉頭炎のときは無理をしないでください。koutouen no toki wa muri o shinaide kudasai.Please don't overdo it when you have laryngitis.
Example conversation
Ren is asking about Himari's health at the office.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵さんはどうしたの？声が出にくいみたいだけど。Himari-san wa doushita no? Koe ga denikui mitai dakedo.What's wrong, Himari? It seems like it's hard for you to speak.
- 陽葵 Himari実は、喉頭炎なんです。Jitsu wa, koutouen nan desu.Actually, I have laryngitis.
- 蓮 Renそれは大変だね。ゆっくり休んで。Sore wa taihen dane. Yukkuri yasunde.That's tough. Please get some rest.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとう、蓮さん。Arigatou, Ren-san.Thank you, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “laryngitis” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
