Coronavirus Japanese: Words And Phrases Related to COVID-19 : Right now, you could be studying a number of things. Your kanji flashcards, Japanese business etiquette, how to ask where the bathroom is… but we all know what’s really on your mind, and that’s the coronavirus (コロナウイルス, korona uirusu)!
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Therefore, we have a special article for you today that details some of the ways the Japanese are coping with the viral outbreak (ウイルスの発生, uirusu no hassei) and some key vocabulary pertaining to the COVID-19 situation.
Here we go!
How to Prevent Getting Sick
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (厚生労働省, Kousei roudoushou) recently released to all households a pamphlet entitled 「３つの密を避けましょう！ 」(Mitsu no mitsu wo sakemashou!)—or the English title, “Avoid the ‘Three C’s!’” Below are the three things the government advises the general public to refrain from.
３つの密を避けましょう！ (Avoid the “Three C’s!”)
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
| 1. 換気の悪い密閉空間 | Kanki no warui mitsu heikuukan | Closed spaces with poor ventilation |
| 2. 多数が集まる密集場所 | Tasuu ga atsumaru mitsu shuubasho | Crowded places with many people nearby |
| 3. 間近で会話や発声をする密接場面 | Majika de kaiwa ya hassei wo suru mitsu setsubamen | Close-contact settings such as close-range conversations |
The government also recommends that everyone 1. Wash their hands (手洗い, te arai); 2. Follow the guide for coughing etiquette (咳エチケット, seki echiketto) by either coughing into a mask (マスク, masuku), a handkerchief (ハンカチ, hankachi), or your sleeve (袖, sode); and 3. Wear a mask (マスク着用, masuku chakuyou).
COVID-19 and Social Media
Due to strict constitutional limitations, Japan is not able to legally enforce individuals to stay at home during a pandemic. Therefore, in order to persuade people to not leave their homes unless it is absolutely necessary, the government is touting the phrase「外出自粛」(gaishutsu jishuku)—or just 自粛 (jishuku) for short.
外出 means “going outdoors” and 自粛 means “self-restraint.” Japanese people by nature are generally obedient to a higher order—especially government officials. Therefore, the prime minister declaring a state of emergency (緊急事態宣言, kinkyuu jitai sengen) in of itself is usually enough for people to fall in line. On top of that, practicing self-restraint is seen as a virtue within Japanese culture. However, this isn’t necessarily the case for younger generations in the 21st century, who tend to have a more lax view on such matters.
Therefore, in order to combat this, social media platforms and their influencers have taken a number of measures to show the 10-20s crowd that shelter-in-place isn’t as terrible as it sounds.
If you’re an Instagram user, you may be familiar with the “Stay Home” logo. In Japan, they use the same logo, except the slogan is 「おうち時間 」(o-uchi jikan, Home Time). It started with social media influencers sticking the label on their photos and stories, showing themselves doing things like cooking, relaxing, and exercising at home. This was to show their young fans that they too are going through the same experience.
The Japanese also love to go to cafes and drink tea and eat cake with their friends. Therefore, taking the above おうち時間 a step further, there is a hashtag and logo for おうちカフェ (o-uchi kafe, Home Cafe). With this, people try to mimic the atmosphere of a cafe by making their own drinks and sweets and posting pictures and videos of them.
On top of projects in the kitchen, people have also taken to arts and crafts in their newly found free time. If you search the hashtag 力作 (rikisaku), you’ll find paintings, sculptures, costumes, accessories, flower arrangements, and all kinds of things people have created while cooped up at home. 力作 translates to “work of great effort.”
These are a few of the ways people are spreading the word that safety is the new cool.
COVID-19 Vocabulary
Below you will find a list of the most useful vocabulary involving the coronavirus situation. These words should be very useful when talking to Japanese people about the situation, as these are pretty difficult words, which they may not know in English. Memorize them, and watch how their eyes will light up when they realize that they can talk to you feely about such a crucial topic of concern.
General Vocabulary for the COVID-19 Situation
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
| 新型コロナウィルス | shingata korona uirusu | novel coronavirus |
| ウイルスの発生 | uirusu no hassei | viral outbreak |
| 感染症 | kansenshou | infectious disease |
| 感染者 | kansensha | infected people |
| 検疫 | ken’eki | quarantine |
| 人工呼吸器 | jinkou kokyuuk ki | ventilator (artificial respirator) |
| 無症状 | mushoujou | asymptomatic |
| 軽～中等症 | kei～chuutoushou | mild-moderate symptoms |
| 有症状 | yuushoujou | symptomatic |
| 退院した | tai’in shita | discharged from hospital |
| 死亡者 | shibousha | deaths |
| COVID-19の検査 | kobiddo-naintiin no kensa | COVID-19 testing |
| 陽性 | yousei | test positive |
| 陰性 | insei | test negative |
| アメリカ疾病予防管理センター (CDC) | Amerika shippei yobou kanri sentaa (CDC) | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
| 世界保健機関 (WHO) | Sekai hoken kikan (WHO) | World Health Organization (WHO) |
| 厚生労働省 (MHLW) | Kousei roudoushou (MHLW) | Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) |
| 緊急事態宣言 | kinkyuu jitai sengen | state of emergency |
| 汎流行 (パンデミック) | hanryuukou (pandemikku) | pandemic |
| 流行 (エピデミック) | ryuukou (epidemikku) | epidemic |
| 外出禁止令 | gaishutsu kinshi rei | shelter-in-place order |
| テレワーク | terewaaku | telework |
| マスク着用 | masuku chakuyou | wear a face mask |
| 手洗い | te arai | wash hands |
| 手指消毒剤 | teyubu shoudokuzai | hand sanitizer |
| 社会的距離（ソーシャルディスタンシング） | shakai-teki kyori (soosharu disutanshingu) | social distancing |
| 外出自粛 | gaishutsu jishuku | practicing self-restraint by not going outdoors |
Look at all of these topical words you’ve learned today! If you can’t strike up a conversation in Japanese with this list, then… actually that’s impossible! This is your secret weapon that we’re giving you free of charge just for reading Bondlingo.
Stay home, and stay safe, everyone!