Translation guide
The English word 'anamnesis' has two main uses: a medical term for a patient's medical history, and a philosophical/religious term for recollection or remembrance. This guide focuses on the medical sense, which is the most common need for learners.
To refer to a patient's medical history, especially the information gathered by a doctor through questioning.
Standard medical term for 'past medical history'. Used in clinical settings and medical records.
We need to take a detailed anamnesis.
General term for 'medical history', slightly broader than 既往歴. Common in both spoken and written contexts.
Please check the patient's anamnesis.
Refers to the medical interview or history-taking process itself. Often used when describing the act of gathering anamnesis.
Important information was obtained through anamnesis.
Specifically refers to past illnesses or conditions. More narrow than 既往歴, but sometimes used interchangeably in medical contexts.
The anamnesis includes diabetes.
To refer to the concept of recollection or remembrance, especially in Platonic philosophy or Christian theology.
Direct loanword from Greek, used in academic or theological discussions of Platonic anamnesis or Eucharistic remembrance.
We discussed Plato's theory of anamnesis.
General term for 'recollection' or 'remembrance'. Can be used in philosophical contexts but lacks the specific technical nuance of anamnesis.
Literally 'recovery of memory'. A descriptive phrase that can convey the idea of anamnesis in non-specialist contexts.
The English word 'anamnesis' is rare outside specialized fields. In Japanese, the medical sense is almost always expressed with 既往歴 or 問診, while the philosophical sense uses the loanword アナムネーシス or descriptive terms like 想起. Using the wrong term in the wrong context will cause confusion.
In everyday clinical conversation, doctors often use 問診 (medical interview) rather than the more formal 既往歴. For example, '問診をとる' means 'to take an anamnesis'.
想起説は知識の起源を説明する。
The theory of anamnesis explains the origin of knowledge.
This ritual symbolizes anamnesis.