How to Say "Narcolepsy" in Japanese

ナルコレプシー

narukorepushī

Narcolepsy in Japanese is expressed as ナルコレプシー (narukorepushī) or 居眠り病.

Meaning: sleeping disorder (noun)

Ways to say it

“narcolepsy” in Japanese
Japanese	Romanization (Wiktionary)
ナルコレプシー	narukorepushī
居眠り病	inemuri byō

The term refers to the medical sleeping disorder.

The term 居眠り病 is a literal combination of 居眠り (inemuri), meaning 'dozing' or 'napping' and 病 (byō), meaning 'disease'.

ナルコレプシー is the standard medical loanword used in clinical or formal settings, whereas 居眠り病 is a more descriptive, colloquial term.

narukorepushī

The term 居眠り (inemuri) is often viewed as a sign of devotion to one's work in Japan, rather than a symptom of laziness or boredom.
The loanword ナルコレプシー is written in katakana, the script typically used for foreign words, to signal to the reader that this is a precise, Western medical diagnosis.
The term 居眠り shares a linguistic root with the concept of 'presence' or 'being there', as the 'i' (居) character implies a state of staying or occupying a space while resting.

彼はナルコレプシーの診断を受けた。
Kare wa narukorepushī no shindan o uketa.
He was diagnosed with narcolepsy.
ナルコレプシーは珍しい睡眠障害です。
Narukorepushī wa mezurashii suimin shōgai desu.
Narcolepsy is a rare sleeping disorder.
ナルコレプシーの治療について相談したい。
Narukorepushī no chiryō ni tsuite sōdan shitai.
I want to consult about treatment for narcolepsy.

Misaki and Yota are discussing a medical topic at a cafe.

美咲 Misaki

陽太さんは、ナルコレプシーを知っていますか？
Yōta-san wa, narukorepushī o shitte imasu ka?
Yota, do you know about narcolepsy?
陽太 Yota

はい、名前は聞いたことがあります。
Hai, namae wa kiita koto ga arimasu.
Yes, I have heard the name before.
美咲 Misaki

とても大変な睡眠障害ですよね。
Totemo taihen na suimin shōgai desu yo ne.
It is a very difficult sleeping disorder, isn't it?
陽太 Yota

そうですね、とても辛そうです。
Sō desu ne, totemo tsurasō desu.
That's true, it seems very tough.

Sources

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