N4 Topic-Based Conversation — Doctor's Visit & Health Insurance
An eight-lesson N4 course about healthcare in Japan: making an appointment, explaining symptoms at reception, the examination, medicine and the pharmacy, health insurance and costs, seeing a specialist, and test results and medical leave.
Who this course is for
This course is designed for self-learners and JLPT candidates preparing for N4, with emphasis on topic-conversation, conversation through structured lessons and guided practice. Study 8 step-by-step lessons with free interactive quizzes on Minna Nihongo. Ideal if you want exam-style review, daily study habits, and measurable progress without a classroom schedule.
Lessons
- Making an Appointment — Call a clinic, ask whether they can see you, choose a time, give your name and phone number, and check what to bring on your first visit.
- At the Reception Desk — Check in at the reception window, fill in the first-visit form, show your insurance card, take a number, and understand where to wait.
- Describing Symptoms — Explain a fever, a cough, a sore throat, a headache or nausea, say when it started, and describe how bad it is.
- Examination and Diagnosis — Understand what happens during an examination, follow the doctor's instructions, and hear the diagnosis and what you must do next.
- Medicine and the Pharmacy — Take a prescription to a pharmacy, pick up tablets and powder medicine, and understand how often, when and how to take them.
- Health Insurance and Costs — Understand Japan's health insurance system, the thirty-percent co-payment, the payment window, receipts and refunds for expensive treatment.
- A Specialist Referral — Receive a referral letter, understand why you are being sent to a specialist, and book an appointment at a larger hospital.
- Test Results and Medical Leave — Hear test results, ask whether something is serious, get a medical certificate, and tell your workplace you need sick leave.
Sample vocabulary from this course
- 予約（よやく） (予約): appointment, reservation
- 熱（ねつ） (熱): fever, temperature
- 受付窓口（うけつけぐち） (受付窓口): reception window, reception counter
- 薬局（やっきょく） (薬局): pharmacy, drugstore
- 聴診器（ちょうしんき） (聴診器): stethoscope
- 診療所（しんりょうじょ） (診療所): small clinic
- 息を吸う（いきをすう） (息を吸う): to breathe in
- 咳（せき） (咳): cough
- 記入（きにゅう） (記入): filling in, writing in
- 処方箋（しょほうせん） (処方箋): prescription
- 受付（うけつけ） (受付): reception desk
- 喉（のど） (喉): throat
- 粉薬（こなぐすり） (粉薬): powdered medicine
- 用紙（ようし） (用紙): form, sheet of paper
- 口を開ける（くちをあける） (口を開ける): to open one's mouth
- 待合室（まちあいしつ） (待合室): waiting room
- 空いている（あいている） (空いている): to be free, to be available
- 錠剤（じょうざい） (錠剤): tablet, pill
- 触る（さわる） (触る): to touch
- 頭痛（ずつう） (頭痛): headache
- 都合（つごう） (都合): convenience, one's schedule
- 腹痛（ふくつう） (腹痛): stomach ache
- 順番（じゅんばん） (順番): order, one's turn
- レントゲン (レントゲン): X-ray
- 食後（しょくご） (食後): after a meal
- 変更（へんこう） (変更): change, alteration
- 原因（げんいん） (原因): cause
- 吐き気（はきけ） (吐き気): nausea, feeling sick
- 一日三回（いちにちさんかい） (一日三回): three times a day
- 番号札（ばんごうふだ） (番号札): numbered ticket
- 副作用（ふくさよう） (副作用): side effect
- 胃炎（いえん） (胃炎): gastritis, inflammation of the stomach
- 住所（じゅうしょ） (住所): address
- 保険証（ほけんしょう） (保険証): health insurance card
- めまい (めまい): dizziness
- 風邪（かぜ） (風邪): a cold
- 症状（しょうじょう） (症状): symptoms
- 生年月日（せいねんがっぴ） (生年月日): date of birth
- 処方（しょほう） (処方): prescription
- 塗り薬（ぬりぐすり） (塗り薬): ointment, medicine you apply