結膜炎
ketsumakuen[ke̞t͡sɨma̠kɯ̟ẽ̞ɴ]
The English phrase pink eye is translated into Japanese as 結膜炎 (ketsumakuen).
結膜炎 is used to refer to the inflammation or infection of the outer membrane of the eyeball.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 結膜炎 literally means conjunctivitis, which is the medical term for pink eye.
How do you pronounce it?
ketsumakuen
Did you know?
- When pink eye is spreading, Japanese speakers use the phrase 流行っている, which is the same word used to describe a 'fashion trend' or something that is 'in style'.
- The kanji 結 in 結膜炎 literally means 'to tie' or 'to bind', referring to how the membrane connects the eyelid to the eyeball.
- The character 炎 in 結膜炎 represents 'flame' or 'fire', visually depicting the heat and redness of the infection.
Examples in context
- 結膜炎にかかりました。kekubakuen ni kakarimashita.I have contracted pink eye.
Example conversation
Hiyori tells Ren why her eye is red.
- 陽葵 Himari目が赤いけど、大丈夫？Me ga akai kedo, daijoubu?Your eye is red, are you okay?
- 蓮 Ren実は結膜炎になっちゃったんだ。Jitsu wa ketsumakuen ni natchatta nda.Actually, I ended up getting pink eye.
- 陽葵 Himari大変だね。もう病院に行った？Taihen dane. Mou byouin ni itta?That's tough. Have you gone to the clinic yet?
- 蓮 Renうん、さっき診てもらったよ。Un, sakki mitemoratta yo.Yeah, I just had it checked.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 結膜炎, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
