Understanding 症状 (しょうじょう)
The word 症状 refers to symptoms or signs of an illness or medical condition. It is commonly used in healthcare contexts to describe what a patient experiences or shows when sick.
Usage and Context
症状 is often paired with adjectives describing severity, such as 軽い (mild) or ひどい (severe). It can also be used with verbs like 和らげる (to relieve) or 悪化する (to worsen).
Common Collocations
- 症状が出る: symptoms appear
- 症状を訴える: to complain of symptoms
- 症状が改善する: symptoms improve
These collocations help express changes or experiences related to symptoms.
Register and Politeness
症状 is a neutral, formal term suitable for medical conversations, reports, and everyday discussions about health.
Learner Tips
A common confusion is mixing 症状 with 病気 (びょうき, illness/disease). 症状 refers to the signs or manifestations, while 病気 refers to the disease itself. For example, a cold (病気) has symptoms (症状) like coughing and fever.