Health in Japanese is… kenkou.
And this guide will teach you Japanese sayings for health. I’ve covered sayings for success, life, family, and more. Let’s talk about health now.
Why health? because…. health comes first.
Which is the first phrase on this list of Japanese sayings for health.
1.健康第一
Kenkou daiichi
Health first
This Japanese phrase about health is essential for living life to the fullest!
With different daily commitments, it can be easy to put health to the side.
However, without being healthy, it is impossible to put your best foot forward in all of your life endeavors. This phrase is a great reminder to put your health first!
2. 無理をしないで！
Muri o shinai de!
Don’t overdo it!
Muri o shinai de can be a great phrase to remind your friends to take it easy.
Wanting to do many things and exerting yourself can be great, but it also comes at a cost to physical and mental health. It’s important to space out heavy work with adequate relaxation.
Literally, it means, “don’t do the impossible.”
3.一日一善
Ichinichi ichizen.
One good deed a day
Doing one good deed a day can have a huge impact on your mental health.
Helping others is a large part of Japanese culture, and this phrase can remind you to make sure to do one good deed per day. When we do something good for others, it tends to also lift up our mood and be helpful to someone else.
4. 運動不足
Undou busoku
Lack of exercise
In modern-day society, with so much technology from cars, food delivery, and working on computers, it can be easy to lack exercise.
So, this phrase represents how to say “Lack of exercise.”
It can be helpful when explaining to someone that you want to exercise more or invite them to go running with you.
Also, “busoku” – meaning lack of/shortage/insufficiency, can be applied to other things.
Like, lack of sleep!
- 睡眠不足
- suimin busoku
- lack of sleep
Do you have a lack of sleep? Leave me a comment.
5. 腹八分目
Hara hachi bun me
Stomach at 80% (eat in moderation)
This unique Japanese saying states that you should always eat until you are eighty percent full.
This is a good phrase to live by because we often eat without realizing we are actually extremely full.
Keeping to the eighty percent level of fullness ensures that you’re not hungry but that you don’t overeat either.
6. 早寝早起き
Hayane hayaoki
Early sleep, early rise
Pretty much the Japanese version of “early to bed early to rise.”
Parents and teachers often say this to children to remind them to go to bed early and wake up early.
This is a great Japanese phrase to remember not to stay up too late. Without going to bed early, there won’t be enough sleep to wake up early. We often get more things done when we wake up early.
7. 気をつけて。
Ki o tsukete
Take care
If someone is going somewhere far away on a trip, you can say this phrase to wish them well and take care of themselves. It can also mean “be careful” in Japanese. It’s a great way to say goodbye if someone is leaving and they are close to you.
8. ストレス解消
Sutoresu kaishou
Stress relief
This phrase means “stress relief” in Japanese, and as you can see, the word for stress is borrowed from English.
In Japan, people often go to karaoke bars or drink with work colleagues to relieve some stress. In Japanese culture, there is a high level of pressure to work long hours, and it can be a stressful working environment.
9. 予防は治療に勝る
Yobou wa chiryou ni masaru
Prevention is better than cure
Chiryou literally means “treatment.”
Youbou wa chiryou ni masaru is an excellent phrase representing how prevention is more important than treating an illness. With a healthy lifestyle, there are many preventable diseases.
People often forget to take care of their physical health until they actually get sick, which could have been prevented with better lifestyle choices.
10. 適度な休息
Tekido na kyuusoku
Regular rest
Taking regular rest is crucial to staying productive.
Without rest, focusing is more challenging, and the work slows down.
Instead of doing this, you can remember to have a tekido na kyuusoku to recharge and be more productive later on.
11. 元気があれば何でもできる。
Genki ga areba nandemo dekiru
If you have energy, you can do anything.
This is a positive phrase for health as it means that if you have energy, you can do anything. It is sometimes not only about skill and abilities but also about the will and energy to do it.
This Japanese phrase embodies the concept of being able to do anything if you have the energy and motivation to do so.
12. お大事に
Odaiji ni.
Get well soon.
Knowing this phrase is extremely important in Japanese society. You will most likely run into a situation where one of your friends, work colleagues, or someone you know gets sick.
When someone gets sick, this is the phrase for “get well soon.”
This is also a way to say bye in Japanese (with the nuance of “take care of yourself and get well.” You’ll hear it from staff at hospitals and clinics on your way out.
13.一に看病二に薬
Ichi ni kanbyou ni ni kusuri.
First is nursing, then medicine.
Receiving good medical care is not just about the medication. Sometimes, having a caring person nurse you is the best way to get better. This phrase showcases this element of health: although medication is essential, having someone care for you can be one of the most critical things toward recovery.
14. よく噛んで食べる
Yoku kande taberu
Chew well when eating
If you’re out at a restaurant in Japan, you might hear parents telling their kids to chew well.
In Japan, people firmly believe that chewing your food well is healthier. When someone is young, they might be hungry and want to eat very fast. However, by chewing your food well, you can enjoy the flavors, which can be much better for digestion.
15. 恋の病に薬なし
Koi no yamai ni kusuri nashi.
There is no medicine for love-sickness.
Just like in English, Japanese people also have a word for love-sickness.
This phrase captures the idea that no medication for being sick from love exists. What often happens is that we have to wait for time to pass to heal.
16. 体に気をつけて。
Karada ni ki o tsukete.
Take care of your health
“Ki o tsukete” means “be careful”…
But in this case, it’s more of a “take care of…” And “karada” is “body.”
The literal translation is “to take care of your body,” but for Japanese people, the body also means physical health.
This is a great send-off phrase to someone you won’t see for a while.
16. 自分を大切に
Jibun o taisetsu ni
Take care of yourself.
Taisetsu means important or precious.
The phrase reminds us to treat ourselves well and take care of ourselves.
Are You Taking Care of Yourself?
You should.
That’s why I wrote this guide on Japanese sayings for health.
Well, I also did it for my own selfish reasons and to teach some Japanese.
Anyway, are you taking care of yourself? Sleeping well? Chewing well?
Leave a comment and tell me your favorite phrase.
– The Main Lingua Junkie
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