How to Say ‘Where does it hurt?’ in Japanese
どこがいたいですか。
doko ga i tai desu ka
[doh-koh gah ee tie dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: Standard symptom question. Answer with a location + [です] or [〜がいたいです].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese pharmacies often follow a set flow: where, since when, how it feels, and any other symptoms.
Phrase Breakdown
どこ
doko
[doh-koh]
where; which part
Asks for the specific location of pain.
どこがいたいですか。
Where does it hurt?
が
ga
[gah]
(subject marker)
Marks the thing that hurts (the location/body part).
どこがいたいですか。
Where does it hurt?
いたい
i tai
painful; hurts
い-adjective used to describe pain; often with が after the body part.
ここがいたいです。
It hurts here.
Words in this phrase
い
i
[ee]
(part of) 痛い (itai)
First mora of いたい, used here in a question about pain.
どこがいたいですか。
Where does it hurt?
たい
tai
[tie]
(part of) 痛い (itai)
Completes いたい. Together with い, it forms “hurt/painful.”
どこがいたいですか。
Where does it hurt?
ですか
desu ka
(polite question)
Polite question ending. The whole sentence means “Where does it hurt?”
だいじょうぶですか。
Are you okay?
Words in this phrase
です
desu
[dess]
(polite) be / am / is / are
Polite style used in medical questions.
どこがいたいですか。
Where does it hurt?
か
ka
[kah]
question marker ("?")
Makes the sentence a question.
どこがいたいですか。
Where does it hurt?
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