Latest / Learn Japanese with Fexingo / Japanese At The Pharmacy Basics
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Japanese with Fexingo. We are at episode two hundred fifty. That is a big milestone. Luna: I know. Two hundred and fifty episodes. It feels like we just started talking about cherry blossoms last week. Lucas: It has been a long journey. And I hope you have been making progress every single day. Luna: Yeah. I definitely feel more confident with my basic greetings now. Lucas: That is great. Today, we are going to look at a very practical scenario. Have you ever felt sick while traveling? Luna: Oh, yes. Last year I had a bad headache in Tokyo. I did not know what to say to the pharmacist. Lucas: I see. Well, today we will fix that. We are going to learn how to talk about symptoms and ask for medicine at a pharmacy. Luna: Please do. I want to be ready this time. What is the first thing we should say? Lucas: We start by stating your problem clearly. The phrase is kaze o hikimashita. This means I caught a cold. Luna: Kaze o hikimashita. Let me try. Kaze o hikimashita. Lucas: Perfect. You said it beautifully. Kaze o hikimashita. It is a very common way to start the conversation. Luna: Okay. So if I go to the counter, I just say that? Kaze o hikimashita? Lucas: Exactly. But sometimes you might have a specific pain. For example, a headache. The phrase is zutsu ga shimasu. Luna: Zutsu ga shimasu. Wait, is that head-ache or stomach-ache? Lucas: It depends on the word before it. Zutsu means headache. If you say onaka ga itai, that is stomach ache. But for today, let us stick to zutsu ga shimasu. Luna: Got it. Zutsu ga shimasu. Let me repeat that. Zutsu ga shimasu. Lucas: Yes. Zutsu ga shimasu. You are doing great. Now, once you tell them your symptom, you need to ask for help. Luna: Right. I need to ask for medicine. How do I say that politely? Lucas: You use the phrase isogu o kudasai. This means please give me stomach medicine. Or any medicine you need. Luna: Isogu o kudasai. Isogu... okay. Isogu o kudasai. Lucas: Very good. Isogu o kudasai. It is simple and direct. The pharmacist will understand exactly what you want. Luna: I like that one. It feels safe to use. Isogu o kudasai. Lucas: It is. Now, there is one important question you should always ask. Safety first. Do you know how to ask about side effects? Luna: No, I don't. That is a scary word. How do I say it? Lucas: The phrase is fukusayou wa arimasu ka. This means are there any side effects? Luna: Fukusayou wa arimasu ka. That sounds complicated. Let me break it down. Lucas: Take your time. Fu-kusa-yo-u wa a ri ma su ka. Say it slowly. Luna: Fukusayou wa arimasu ka. Okay. Fukusayou wa arimasu ka. Lucas: There it is. Fukusayou wa arimasu ka. You nailed it. This shows you are careful and responsible. Luna: I feel smarter already. Fukusayou wa arimasu ka. I will remember that one. Lucas: Good. Finally, you need to know how to take the medicine. The instruction is ichinichi ni sankai, ikkai zutsu nomimasu. Luna: Whoa. That is a long sentence. Ichinichi ni sankai, ikkai zutsu nomimasu? Lucas: It means three times a day, one pill each time. It is a standard instruction. Let us practice it together. Luna: Ichinichi ni sankai, ikkai zutsu nomimasu. One, two, three times a day. Lucas: Exactly. Ichinichi ni sankai, ikkai zutsu nomimasu. You are repeating it well. Luna: It flows better now. Ichinichi ni sankai, ikkai zutsu nomimasu. I think I can say this without panicking. Lucas: I am sure you can. Let us review the whole conversation quickly. You start with kaze o hikimashita. Luna: Kaze o hikimashita. Then I say zutsu ga shimasu. Lucas: Then you ask for medicine: isogu o kudasai. Luna: And check safety: fukusayou wa arimasu ka? Lucas: And finally, you listen to the advice: ichinichi ni sankai, ikkai zutsu nomimasu. Luna: Wow. That covers everything. I feel prepared for a trip to Japan now. Lucas: You should. These phrases are your friends when you are not feeling well. Practice them until they are automatic. Luna: I will. Thank you, Lucas. You make it so easy. Lucas: Anytime. By the way, if Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language... Luna: Yeah, it really has. Especially with these small, focused episodes. Lucas: If today was worth a coffee to you, that is the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: It helps keep the show ad-free. Just a little support from listeners like us. Lucas: Thank you for listening. We will see you next time with more Japanese practice.