耳鳴り
miminari[mʲimʲina̠ɾʲi]
The English phrase 'tinnitus' is 耳鳴り (miminari) in Japanese.
耳鳴り is a noun used to describe the perception of nonexistent noise.
Meaning: perception of nonexistent noise (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that you have tinnitus or that tinnitus is occurring, use the construction 耳鳴りがする (miminari ga suru).
How do you pronounce it?
miminari
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, persistent 耳鳴り is sometimes colloquially associated with the idea that someone, somewhere, is talking about you behind your back.
- The kanji 鳴 used in 耳鳴り is also the character found in the word for 'cry' or 'chirp' used for animals.
- Japanese has various onomatopoeia for different types of 耳鳴り, such as キーン for a high-pitched metallic ring or ブーン for a low humming sound.
Examples in context
- 昨日から耳が鳴っていて、何をしてもピーピーするんだよ。My ears have been ringing since yesterday, it's making a high pitched sound no matter what I do.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Ren are talking about health at home.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、さっきから耳鳴りがしてるの。Ren-kun, sakki kara miminari ga shiteru no.Ren, I've been having tinnitus for a while now.
- 蓮 Ren大丈夫？耳鼻科に行ったほうがいいよ。Daijōbu? Jibika ni itta hō ga ii yo.Are you okay? You should probably go to an ENT doctor.
- 陽葵 Himariうん、明日予約してみるね。Un, ashita yoyaku shite miru ne.Yeah, I'll try to make an appointment tomorrow.
- 蓮 Ren無理しないでゆっくり休んでね。Muri shinaide yukkuri yasunde ne.Don't overdo it and get some good rest.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tinnitus” translations and entries 耳鳴り, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
