Translation guide
A place for medical care or rest, typically within an institution like a school, workplace, or military base. Japanese equivalents vary by context and setting.
A room in a school or company where you can rest or receive basic first aid.
Standard term for a school nurse's office or health room. Used from elementary through high school.
I feel sick, so I'm going to the infirmary.
Can I rest for a bit in the infirmary?
Used in companies, factories, or larger institutions for an on-site medical room. More formal than 保健室.
A place for sick or injured soldiers, often temporary or within a base.
A room for the sick, often in older or literary contexts.
Literally 'sickroom'; used in hospitals but can translate 'infirmary' in older texts or when referring to a room where sick people stay.
He lay quietly in the infirmary.
保健室 is almost exclusively for schools, while 医務室 is for workplaces, military, or other institutions. Using 保健室 for a company would sound odd.
An infirmary is not a full hospital. Do not use 病院 (hospital) unless the context is a small local hospital. 診療所 (clinic) may fit some contexts but is not a direct equivalent.
工場の医務室で手当てを受けた。
I received treatment at the factory infirmary.