Translation guide
How to talk about getting better after being sick in Japanese, from formal medical terms to everyday expressions.
To say someone is recovering or has recovered from an illness in a general sense.
The most common and neutral word for recovery from illness, injury, or fatigue. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'recover'.
I recovered from my illness.
I was surprised at how fast the recovery was.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to get well' or 'to be cured'. Used for illnesses, injuries, or conditions healing naturally. Very common in daily conversation.
My cold got better.
Will this illness heal on its own?
Transitive verb meaning 'to cure' or 'to heal'. Used when someone (a doctor, medicine, etc.) cures an illness. Note the difference from 治る.
Don't confuse with 治る (intransitive). 治す requires an agent who cures something.
The doctor cured my illness.
Same reading as 回復 but specifically refers to recovery from illness. More formal and less common in everyday speech.
I sincerely wish you a speedy recovery.
To emphasize that the illness is completely gone and the person is back to normal.
Means 'complete recovery' or 'fully cured'. Often used in formal contexts or when announcing that someone has fully recovered.
It will be one more week until full recovery.
A natural phrase meaning 'to get completely better'. すっかり adds the nuance of 'completely' or 'entirely'.
My cold has completely gone.
Medical term for 'complete cure' or 'full recovery'. Used in clinical contexts.
To describe the process of slowly getting better after a serious illness.
Refers to recuperation or convalescence, often involving rest and medical care over a period of time.
I am recuperating at home.
Rest and recuperation, emphasizing quiet rest. Often used when someone takes time off to recover.
The recovery phase or convalescent stage. More technical.
Expressions used to wish someone well when they are sick.
The standard phrase meaning 'Take care of yourself' or 'Get well soon'. Used when someone is ill or injured.
I heard you caught a cold. Take care.
A formal expression of sympathy and wishes for recovery, often used in letters or messages.
Common ways to say you've recovered from common ailments like a cold.
治る (intransitive) means 'to get better' by itself. 治す (transitive) means 'to cure' something. Use 治る for natural recovery and 治す when someone or something actively cures the illness.
回復 is a bit formal for everyday colds. For minor illnesses, 治る is more natural. 回復 is better for serious illnesses, injuries, or economic recovery.
He made a full recovery and was discharged from the hospital.
A complete cure for this disease is difficult.
医者に静養するように言われた。
The doctor told me to rest and recuperate.
回復期には十分な栄養が必要です。
Adequate nutrition is necessary during the recovery phase.
I heard you were hospitalized, and I sincerely wish you a speedy recovery.