How to Say ‘I am sick’ in Japanese
私は病気です
watashi wa byouki desu
[watashi wah byohn-KI des]
💬 Usage Tip: [病気です] means "am sick / ill," but it can sound broad or serious. For temporary physical discomfort, Japanese often uses more specific phrases like [気分が悪いです] depending on the problem.
Phrase Breakdown
私
watashi
[watashi]
I
Refers to oneself.
私はねこが好きです。
I like cats.
は
wa
[wah]
topic marker
Marks the topic of the sentence.
今日は暑い。
Today is hot.
病気
byouki
[byohn-KI]
illness
Refers to being sick or having a disease.
彼は病気で寝ている。
He is sick and lying in bed.
です
desu
[des]
(polite ending)
A copula for polite statements.
これはペンです。
This is a pen.
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