Translation guide
The English word 'nursing' covers several distinct concepts: the profession of nursing, the act of breastfeeding, and the act of caring for someone. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese expression for each meaning.
Referring to nursing as a career or field of healthcare.
The standard term for nursing as a profession or practice. Used in formal and medical contexts.
Referring to feeding a baby with breast milk.
The standard term for breastfeeding. Used in medical and everyday contexts.
Referring to the act of looking after a sick or injured person.
看護 (かんご) is professional nursing, often in a hospital. 介護 (かいご) is caregiving, especially for the elderly or disabled, focusing on daily living assistance. 看病 (かんびょう) is nursing a sick person, typically at home or in a non-professional setting.
看護師は病院で働きます。
Nurses work in hospitals.
祖母の介護をしています。
I'm providing nursing care for my grandmother.
彼女は看護の仕事をしています。
She works in nursing.
看護師になるために勉強しています。
I'm studying to become a nurse.
Specifically refers to nursing science or the academic study of nursing.
大学で看護学を専攻しています。
I'm majoring in nursing at university.
Refers to nursing care, especially for the elderly or disabled. Often used in the context of long-term care.
Not a direct synonym for 'nursing' as a profession; it emphasizes caregiving rather than medical treatment.
介護の仕事は大変ですが、やりがいがあります。
Nursing care work is tough but rewarding.
授乳中はバランスの良い食事が大切です。
A balanced diet is important while nursing.
赤ちゃんに授乳しています。
I'm nursing the baby.
A casual, everyday expression for breastfeeding, literally 'give breast'. Common in spoken language.
ちょっとおっぱいをあげてきます。
I'll go nurse for a bit.
Refers to breast milk itself, not the act. Can be used in phrases like '母乳で育てる' (raise on breast milk).
母乳で育てています。
I'm nursing (feeding breast milk).
Specifically means nursing a sick person, often at home. Implies attentive care.
母が風邪をひいたので、看病しています。
My mother caught a cold, so I'm nursing her.
Means nursing or tending to someone who is sick or injured, often with a nuance of temporary care.
けが人を介抱しました。
I nursed the injured person.
A general phrase meaning 'to take care of' or 'look after'. Can be used for nursing in a broad sense.
病気の友達の世話をしています。
I'm nursing my sick friend.
I took a day off work to nurse my child.
看護 (かんご) only refers to professional nursing. Using it for breastfeeding would be incorrect and confusing. Use 授乳 (じゅにゅう) instead.
I took a day off work to nurse my child.
看護 (かんご) only refers to professional nursing. Using it for breastfeeding would be incorrect and confusing. Use 授乳 (じゅにゅう) instead.