Describing Symptoms Objectively at a Clinic | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 不快感は軽いですが、いつもより長く続いています。

   The discomfort is mild, but it has lasted longer than usual.

   不快感

   discomfort

   軽い

   mild; light

   ですが

   but

   いつもより

   than usual

   長く

   long; for a long time

   続いています

   is continuing; has lasted

   More detail

   不快感 means “discomfort” here. It is a noun: 不快 means unpleasant or uncomfortable, and 感 adds the sense of a feeling or sensation. A useful pattern is Xは…です (“as for X, …”); here は marks the discomfort as the topic. 軽い is an i-adjective meaning “mild” in this sentence. Its basic form is 軽い; before a noun, it can directly modify it, as in 軽い症状 (“mild symptoms”). In 軽く the same adjective becomes adverbial, but that is not the form used here. ですが is the polite connective です + が; here が links the statement that the discomfort is mild to a contrasting clause, “but.” After an i-adjective, 軽いですが means “is mild, but.” いつもより expresses comparison with the usual situation. いつも means “always” or “usually,” and より marks the comparison standard: いつもより長い means “longer than usual.” In this sentence, より applies to the duration described by the following words. 長く is the adverbial form of the i-adjective 長い (“long”). It modifies 続いています, so it describes continuing for a long duration. The form chain is 長い → 長く; this is not an inflection of 続く. 続いています comes from the intransitive verb 続く (“continue; last”). The pattern ている after a verb can describe an action or state continuing over time; with 続く, it presents the continuation as ongoing. 続いています is polite, so the sentence says that the discomfort “is continuing” or “has lasted.” The related transitive verb 続ける means “continue something,” whereas 続く describes something continuing without making an object the thing being continued. Together, 不快感は軽いですが says “the discomfort is mild, but,” and いつもより長く続いています says that it has continued for a longer time than usual. The complete meaning is: “The discomfort is mild, but it has lasted longer than usual.”

2. 活動、休息、食事によって変わりますか。

   Does it change with activity, rest, or meals?

   活動

   activity

   休息

   rest

   食事

   meal

   によって

   depending on

   変わりますか

   does it change?

   More detail

   活動 means “activity” here. It is a noun and can refer broadly to physical or other activity. Example: 活動の後で休みます。 — “I rest after activity.” 休息 is the noun “rest.” It is a somewhat formal word; 休む is the verb “to rest.” Example: 休息が必要です。 — “Rest is necessary.” 食事 means “a meal” or “meals” here. It is a noun referring to eating or a meal, depending on context. Example: 食事の後で薬を飲みます。 — “I take medicine after a meal.” によって marks the condition or factor on which something varies in this sentence: “depending on.” The pattern Aによって変わる means “to change depending on A.” によって also has other uses, such as marking a means or agent, so its meaning comes from the construction and context. 変わりますか asks whether something changes. Its base form is 変わる (“to change”); 変わります is the polite non-past form, and final か makes it a question. Japanese often leaves the subject unstated when the context makes it clear, so the subject here is the unspecified condition or symptom represented by “it” in the fixed translation. Example: 季節によって変わりますか。 — “Does it change depending on the season?” Together, 活動、休息、食事によって lists three factors—activity, rest, and meals—using commas, and 変わりますか asks whether the relevant thing changes according to those factors. The whole utterance therefore means: “Does it change with activity, rest, or meals?”

3. 長時間座っていると、より気になります。

   I notice it more when I sit for a long time.

   長時間

   for a long time

   座っている

   sit; be sitting

   より

   more

   気になります

   notice it

   More detail

   長時間 means “a long time” here and is used before the following action to specify its duration: 長時間座る = “sit for a long time.” It is built from 長い (“long”) and 時間 (“time”), but it functions as one compact duration expression in this sentence. 座っている comes from the verb 座る (“to sit”). The ている form presents the sitting as an ongoing state or activity, so 座っている can mean “am sitting” or “am seated,” depending on context. In this sentence, the omitted subject is understood as “I” from the fixed translation. Example: 今、座っている。 — “I am sitting now.” より adds a comparative degree: something is noticed “more” or “to a greater extent.” It can also appear after a comparison standard, as in AよりBのほうが長い (“B is longer than A”), but here it works adverbially with 気になります and does not identify a separate comparison standard. 気になります is the polite nonpast form of 気になる. In this context, 気になる means that something catches the speaker’s attention or becomes noticeable, giving “notice it” in the fixed translation. The same expression can also mean “be concerned about” or “wonder about” in other contexts. It is different from 気にする, which describes actively minding, worrying about, or caring about something. Example: この音が気になります。 — “This sound catches my attention.” Together, 長時間座っていると sets the situation “when I sit for a long time.” The particle と connects that situation with its resulting or recurring observation. より気になります then says that the relevant thing is noticed more in that situation. The complete utterance means: “I notice it more when I sit for a long time.”

4. そのパターンは伝えておく価値がありますし、医療者が適切に評価できます。

   That pattern is worth mentioning, and the clinician can assess it properly.

   その

   that

   パターン

   pattern

   伝えておく

   mention; tell in advance

   価値

   value; worth

   医療者

   medical professional

   適切に

   appropriately

   評価できます

   can assess

   More detail

   その means “that” and is a demonstrative placed before パターン. It points to a contextually identifiable pattern; Japanese demonstratives do not change for grammatical gender or number. Example: その方法を使います。 — “I will use that method.” パターン is a noun meaning “pattern.” Here it is the topic marked by は, so the sentence discusses that pattern as a whole. The topic marker does not itself mean that the pattern is the grammatical subject of every later clause. 伝えておく combines 伝える (“communicate, tell”) with おく. The ておく pattern presents an action as being done in preparation or as something usefully taken care of; in this sentence, it gives “mention/tell it” the sense of communicating the pattern for the relevant purpose. Example: 必要な情報を伝えておきます。 — “I will make sure to communicate the necessary information.” 価値 means “value” or “worth.” In 伝えておく価値, the preceding verb phrase modifies this noun. The reusable pattern V-る価値がある means “it is worth doing V”: 読む価値があります。 — “It is worth reading.” The polite form あります is the form of ある, “exist/be,” used here in the fixed expression 価値がある; it does not state a numeric quantity. し connects this clause with the following clause. In this sentence it presents the “worth mentioning” point and then adds the assessment point: “and …”. 医療者 is a noun meaning “medical professional” or “healthcare provider.” The following が marks it as the subject of 評価できます, so the medical professional is the one able to assess. Example: 医療者に相談します。 — “I will consult a medical professional.” 適切に means “appropriately” or “properly.” It is the adverbial form of 適切だ / 適切な, meaning “appropriate.” It modifies 評価できます, describing how the assessment can be carried out. Example: 適切に対応します。 — “I will respond appropriately.” 評価できます means “can assess” here. 評価する means “assess/evaluate,” and its potential form is 評価できる; できます is the polite form of that potential expression. The translation identifies the understood object as the pattern introduced earlier: the medical professional can assess it properly. Example: 専門家が結果を評価できます。 — “A specialist can assess the results.” Together, そのパターンは sets “that pattern” as the topic, and 伝えておく価値があります says that communicating it is worthwhile. し links this with 医療者が適切に評価できます, meaning that a medical professional can assess the pattern properly. The complete meaning is: “That pattern is worth mentioning, and the clinician can assess it properly.”

5. 実際より深刻にも、深刻でないようにも聞こえないように説明しようとしています。

   I am trying to describe it without making it sound worse or less serious than it is.

   実際より

   than it really is

   深刻にも

   more seriously

   深刻でないようにも

   as not serious

   聞こえないように

   so that it does not sound

   説明しようとしています

   am trying to explain

   More detail

   実際より sets the comparison standard: 実際 means “actual reality” here, and より marks what follows as being compared with that standard. The phrase can be reused in comparisons such as 予想より早い (“earlier than expected”). 深刻にも uses 深刻 as a na-adjective in its adverbial form 深刻に (“seriously” or “in a serious way”), with も adding it to the paired alternative that follows. Together with the preceding 実際より, it expresses sounding more serious than reality. The adjective’s useful forms are 深刻だ (“is serious”), 深刻な問題 (“a serious problem”), and 深刻に話す (“speak seriously”). 深刻でないようにも contains the negative form 深刻でない (“not serious”) and ように, which presents the manner or appearance to be avoided: “as if it were not serious.” The も pairs this possibility with 深刻にも, giving the two-sided idea “either more serious or less serious.” 深刻でない is the negative form of 深刻だ; it is not an inflection of the nearby noun because no noun is present in this phrase. 聞こえないように uses 聞こえる (“be heard” or “sound”) in its negative form 聞こえない, followed by ように (“so that” or “in such a way that”). Here it means preventing the description from sounding either too serious or not serious enough. This differs from 聞かない, “not listen,” and 聞かせない, “not let someone hear.” Example: 声が聞こえないように話さないでください。 — “Please do not speak so that the voice cannot be heard.” 説明しようとしています is built from 説明する (“explain”), its volitional form 説明しよう (“intend or try to explain”), and とする (“try to do”), here in the polite progressive form しています. The pattern verb-volitional form + としています describes an ongoing attempt or intention. Example: 簡単に説明しようとしています。 — “I am trying to explain it simply.” The English object “it” is understood in the translation; no separate object is overtly stated in this Japanese utterance. Putting the parts together, the speaker is trying to explain the matter in a way that does not make it sound more serious than it really is and does not make it sound less serious either. The comparison with 実際 establishes the real level as the standard, while the two も-marked alternatives cover both possible distortions.

6. どのくらいの頻度で起こるか、そして自分にどのような影響があるかに集中してください。

   Focus on how often it happens and how it affects you.

   どのくらい

   how much; here, how often

   頻度

   frequency

   起こる

   happen

   そして

   and

   自分に

   to you

   どのような

   what kind of

   影響

   effect

   ある

   exist; be present

   集中してください

   please focus

   More detail

   どのくらい asks about degree or amount. Together with 頻度, the pattern どのくらいの頻度で means “how often” or “at what frequency.” Depending on what follows, どのくらい can also mean “how much” or “how long.” 頻度 is the noun “frequency,” meaning how regularly something occurs. In どのくらいの頻度で, の links the degree question to this noun, and で marks the frequency at which the event occurs. 起こる means “happen” or “occur” here. It is the nonpast/base form, so it does not by itself mark a completed event. どのくらいの頻度で起こるか means “how often it happens.” Example: 問題が起こる。 — “A problem occurs.” そして means “and.” Here it links the first embedded question with the second, presenting two parallel points to focus on. 自分に marks the person affected. In this fixed sentence, the translation identifies that person as “you.” 自分 can have other self-related reference patterns in other contexts, but this sentence uses it in the intended meaning “you”; に marks the person toward whom the effect is directed. どのような means “what kind of” and modifies the following noun. Thus どのような影響 means “what kind of effect.” A related but non-question pattern is このような, “this kind of.” 影響 means “effect” or “impact.” In 自分にどのような影響があるか, it is the effect whose presence or impact on you is being considered. Example: 健康に影響がある。 — “It has an effect on health.” ある is the nonpast/base form meaning “exist” or “be present” for nonliving things and abstract matters. In 影響がある, it forms the common expression “there is an effect” or “it has an effect.” Example pattern: Aに影響がある — “There is an effect on A.” 集中してください is a polite request meaning “please focus.” It consists of 集中する, “to concentrate/focus,” in the てください request pattern. The request is directed at the listener; the thing to focus on is supplied by the preceding coordinated embedded questions. The first part, どのくらいの頻度で起こるか, means “how often it happens.” The second, そして自分にどのような影響があるか, means “and what kind of effect it has on you.” The final に marks the combined content of these embedded questions as the target of 集中する; it does not occur separately after each question. Together, the utterance means: “Focus on how often it happens and how it affects you.”

7. 仕事中に集中しにくくなることを説明できます。

   I can explain that it makes it harder to concentrate at work.

   仕事中

   at work

   集中しにくくなる

   become harder to concentrate

   説明できます

   can explain

   More detail

   仕事中 means “while at work” or “during work.” 仕事 is the noun “work/job,” and 中 here marks an ongoing period: 仕事中 = “during work.” The particle に sets that period as the time when something happens. Example: 仕事中に電話が来ました。 — “A phone call came while I was at work.” 集中しにくくなる describes a change into a state in which concentrating is difficult. 集中する is the base verb “to concentrate”; its form before にくい is 集中し. The pattern verb stem + にくい means “difficult to do,” while なる means “become,” so 集中しにくくなる means “become difficult to concentrate” rather than simply “be difficult to concentrate.” にくい expresses difficulty, not absolute impossibility. Example: この音では集中しにくいです。 — “It is difficult to concentrate with this noise.” こと turns the preceding event or situation into a noun-like unit. Thus 集中しにくくなること means “the fact or circumstance of becoming harder to concentrate.” In this sentence, that unit is what can be explained; it is not an additional participant. 説明できます means “can explain.” It is the polite nonpast form of 説明できる, the potential form used with 説明する (“to explain”). The polite ending ます makes the statement suitable for a polite conversation. Example: この方法を説明できます。 — “I can explain this method.” Together, 仕事中に places the situation during work, 集中しにくくなること names the resulting difficulty in concentrating, and 説明できます states the ability to explain it. With the intended subject supplied by the translation, the whole utterance means: “I can explain that it makes it harder to concentrate at work.”

8. 日常生活への影響がその後の対応の指針になることが多いので、その点も含めてください。

   Include that detail, since daily impact often guides follow-up.

   日常生活

   daily life

   影響

   impact; effect

   その後

   afterward; subsequent

   対応

   response; follow-up

   指針

   guideline

   になる

   become; serve as

   ことが多い

   often

   ので

   because; since

   その点

   that point; that detail

   含めてください

   please include

   More detail

   日常生活 means “daily life” here. It is a noun phrase: 日常 means everyday/daily, and 生活 means life or living. For example, 日常生活に影響する means “affect daily life.” 影響 means “impact” or “effect.” In this sentence, 日常生活への影響 means “the impact on daily life”: への marks what the impact is directed toward. 影響する is the related verb “to affect,” while 影響 by itself is a noun. その後 means “afterward” or “subsequently.” The その points back to an already understood time or event; the sentence does not specify that event itself. その後の対応 therefore means “the subsequent follow-up/response.” 対応 means a response or follow-up action taken toward a situation. In その後の対応, it is a noun modified by その後の, so the phrase refers to follow-up rather than to the earlier event itself. For example, 適切な対応をする means “take an appropriate response/action.” 指針 means “guideline” or “guiding principle.” It is a noun for something used to guide decisions or actions. 対応の指針 means “a guideline for the response/follow-up,” with の linking the response to the guideline. になる is the form of なる used here. なる means “become” or, with a role such as 指針, “serve as/become.” The preceding noun phrase is what takes on that role: 影響が指針になる means “the impact becomes a guideline” or more naturally “the impact guides [the response].” ことが多い means “often” or “is frequently the case.” Here こと turns the preceding proposition, 影響が指針になる, into something that can be described as frequent, rather than saying that every case has this result. A reusable pattern is V-ることが多い, as in 週末に料理することが多い — “I often cook on weekends.” ので connects the preceding reason to what follows and means “because” or “since.” Thus, the fact that the impact often guides follow-up is presented as the reason for the request. Compared with a more direct causal connector such as から, ので commonly gives a comparatively explanatory or polite tone here. その点 means “that point” or “that detail.” その is a demonstrative modifier, and 点 is the noun “point” in the sense of an aspect or detail. The fixed translation supports the reading “that detail,” but the exact earlier content referred to by その is not independently specified in this sentence. 含めてください is a polite request meaning “please include.” It is based on 含める, “to include,” with -てください, a polite request pattern: 含めて plus ください. For example, 名前も含めてください means “Please include the name too.” Together, 日常生活への影響がその後の対応の指針になることが多い says that the impact on daily life often guides or serves as a guideline for subsequent follow-up. ので makes that statement the reason, and その点も含めてください asks the listener to include that detail as well. The whole utterance is: “Please include that detail as well, since the impact on daily life often guides follow-up.”