Lesson #29: 病院に行くほどではないそうです (Byōin ni iku hodo dewa nai sō desu)

Reporting to a superior that a coworker is ill

English Title: Reporting to a superior that a coworker is ill

🎧 Audio:
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Role-play Setup

You’re working at a construction site. During lunch break, your colleague Wada starts feeling unwell with stomach pain. He goes to rest in the restroom. When your supervisor returns and asks about Wada’s whereabouts, you need to relay information about his condition accurately.

Full Script & Explanation

Wada Feeling Unwell

Wada

うーん、なんか変なんだよね…。
Ūn, nanka hen nan da yo ne…
I feel kind of weird.

「なんか」is a spoken version of「なにか」. The speaker may not be sure that something is wrong, or that they are really sick, but they may feel slightly “off.”

You

どうしました？
Dō shimashita?
What’s wrong?

The speaker notices their coworker isn’t their usual self, and reaches out. This phrase is slightly more casual than「どうしましたか」. The intonation rises at the end of the phrase.

You

どこか痛いんですか。
Dokoka itai n desu ka.
Are you in pain?

The speaker is worried about their coworker, as it appears they could be in pain. When someone is in obvious pain, use the phrase「どこが痛いんですか」(Where does it hurt?) . By doing this, you can ask what is hurting them in particular. The phrase「～んですか」is often used to draw information from the listener.

Wada

あぁ、お昼ごはんを食べてから、ちょっとお腹が痛いんだ。
Ā, ohiru-gohan o tabete kara, chotto onaka ga itai n da.
After I ate lunch, my stomach started hurting a bit.

The speaker is explaining the situation. The phrase「んだ」is a more casual form of「んです」. Women often use 「お腹が痛いの」or「お腹が痛いのよ」.

You

大丈夫ですか。病院に行きますか。
Daijōbu desu ka. Byōin ni ikimasu ka.
Are you okay? Do you want to see a doctor?

The speaker is worried about their coworker, and trying to figure out the severity of the situation. 「病院に行きますか」asks whether or not the coworker wants to go to the hospital. The speaker is trying to figure out how serious the illness is.

Wada

いや、そこまでじゃないよ。
Iya, soko made ja nai yo.
No, it’s not that bad.

「そこまでじゃない」means「病院に行くほどではない」. The word「そこ」isn’t being used like it would be in the sentence「そこは休憩室です」. Instead, it’s being used to refer back to what the previous speaker just said (in this case, going to the hospital).

You

じゃあ、何か薬、要りますか。それとも横になりますか。
Jā, nanika kusuri, irimasu ka. Soretomo yokoni narimasu ka.
Well, do you want some medicine? Or do you want to lie down?

「じゃあ」is a casual form of「では」. The speaker knows their coworker doesn’t want to see a doctor, so instead suggests taking medicine or lying down. The phrase「それとも」is used to show the listener that they can pick from any of the speaker’s suggestions.

Wada

いや、そんなに大げさにしなくて大丈夫。
Iya, sonnani ōgesa ni shinakute daijōbu.
No, it’s not a big deal.

「大げさにする」means to exaggerate or make a big deal out of something. The speaker thinks that they don’t feel unwell enough to need medicine or to lie down.

Wada

とりあえずトイレに行ってくる。
Toriaezu toire ni itte kuru.
For now, I’ll go to the toilet.

「とりあえず」means「この状況から考えてまずは」, or “for now.” The word「行ってくる」shows that the speaker intends to come back after they go to the toilet.

Wada

ちょっと休んだら戻るよ。
Chotto yasundara modoru yo.
I’ll rest for a bit and then come back.

In this case,「休んだら」isn’t referring to “if” like in the phrase「もし休んだら」. It means “after,” like in「休んでから」or「休んだ後で」.

Wada

職長には、心配しないように伝えておいてくれる？
Shokuchō ni wa, shinpai shinai yō ni tsutaete oite kureru?
Can you tell the boss for me, so he doesn’t worry?

The speaker realizes that their boss may be worried if the speaker suddenly disappears without saying anything, and asks the listener to let the boss know the situation. The phrase「伝えておいて」includes the nuance that the speaker wants the listener to let the boss know the situation ahead of time, before the boss gets worried. The phrase「〜てくれる？」is a more casual form of「〜てくれませんか」.

You

分かりました。
Wakarimashita.
Got it.

Reporting to the Supervisor

Supervisor

よーし、そろそろ作業を始めるぞ。
Yōshi, sorosoro sagyō o hajimeru zo.
Okay, almost time to get to work.

「よし」 is often said before getting to work, as a way to rev oneself up. It can be stretched out like「よーし」as well. The「ぞ」at the end of the sentence is used when emphasizing what one has just said, when repeating back to oneself, or to rally others.

Supervisor

あれ、和田君はどうした？
Are, Wada-kun wa dō shita?
Hm, where’s Wada-kun?

The phrase「あれ？」is used when you feel surprise or doubt about something. 「どうした？」is a shortened form of「どうしましたか」「どうしたんですか」. In this case, it is being used to ask 「和田君がいないけれど、彼はどうしたんですか」.

You

昼食後から、お腹が痛いとのことでトイレに行きました。
Chūshoku-go kara, onaka ga itai to no koto de toire ni ikimashita.
He said his stomach started hurting after lunch. He went to the toilet.

「昼食後から」means the same thing as「昼ご飯を食べてから」. The phrase「お腹が痛い」uses「～が痛い」to describe the body part that hurts. You can substitute other body parts in the place of お腹. The phrase「～とのこと」is used when relaying messages from others. It means the same thing as「〜さんが〜と言っていました」.

Supervisor

えぇ、大丈夫か？
Ē, daijōbu ka?
Oh, is he okay?

Supervisor

和田君は、どんな感じだった？
Wada-kun wa, donna kanji datta?
How bad did it seem?

「どんな感じ」means「どんな様子」. The speaker is worried about Wada-san, and asking about his condition.

KEY PHRASE

You

少し様子を見て戻ると言っていました。病院に行くほどではないそうです。
Sukoshi yōsu o mite modoru to itte imashita. Byōin ni iku hodo dewa nai sō desu.
He said he’ll rest and come back. He said he wasn’t sick enough to need a doctor.

「様子を見て戻ると言っていました」relays that Wada-san intends to go to the toilet, and then come back after a little while. This is an efficient way to relay messages from others. The phrases「と言っていました」and「そうです」both are used to relay messages from others. 「ほど」is used to express the level of something. For example, Wada-san doesn’t think his illness is at the level where he needs to see a doctor. The speaker relays this message from Wada-san to their superior using「そうです」.

Supervisor

そうか…。じゃあ、ひとまず先に始めるか。
Sō ka… Jā, hitomazu saki ni hajimeru ka.
I see… Well, let’s get back to work for now.

「ひとまず」is used as a buffer phrase. In this case, it’s being used to set apart the two topics at hand: Wada-san’s illness, and the need to get back to work.

Vocabulary

お腹が痛い (onaka ga itai) - have a stomachache
To talk about pain in different parts of the body, you can use 「 [body part] ＋が痛い」. For example, 胃が痛い (have a stomachache), 頭が痛い (have a headache), 足が痛い (have foot pain), or 肩が痛い (have shoulder pain).
Example: このところ緊張が続いていたせいか、胃が痛い。(I’ve been having bad anxiety recently, which is possibly why my stomach hurts.)
Example: ボールを投げすぎて、肩が痛くなった。ズシーンと重い痛みだ。(I threw the ball too hard, and my shoulder started hurting. I have this heavy, throbbing pain now.)

病院に行く (byōin ni iku) - go to see a doctor / go to a hospital
The phrase 「病院に行く」literally means to go to a hospital, but often it is used for much less serious situations. It typically is used to mean to see a doctor. In the Japanese medical system, there are both 病院 (hospitals) and クリニック (clinics), each with their own role.
Example: 夜中に胸が痛くなり、次の日病院に行ったら、すぐに検査入院することになった。(My stomach started hurting overnight. I went to see a doctor the next day, and they hospitalized me right away.)

Cultural Notes

Relaying Information About Illness

When reporting someone’s illness to a superior:

  1. Be factual - State what you observed and what they told you
  2. Use reporting forms - 「〜と言っていました」「〜そうです」
  3. Include severity assessment - 「病院に行くほどではない」helps the superior gauge seriousness
  4. Show concern - But remain professional and objective

Japanese Workplace and Health

In Japanese work culture:

Grammar Points

Using「〜とのこと」to Relay Information

Pattern: [quoted information] + とのこと

This pattern is used to relay information from another person in a formal way.

Examples:

Using「ほど」to Express Degree

Pattern: [verb dictionary form] + ほど + ではない/でもない

This pattern means “not to the extent of…” or “not so much that…”

Examples:

Using「〜そうです」for Hearsay

When relaying what you heard from someone else:

Examples:

Tips from this Dialogue

How to Relay Health Information

  1. State the facts - When, where, what symptoms
  2. Use proper reporting language - 「〜とのことで」「〜そうです」
  3. Include the person’s own assessment - 「病院に行くほどではない」
  4. Answer follow-up questions - Be ready to provide more details

Keego (Polite Language)

言う (iu) - to say
Polite/Respectful Forms:

Kanji

建 - build, construct
Reading: けん (ken), た (ta)
Example: 建築 (kenchiku - construction), 建物 (tatemono - building), 建てる (tateru - to build)

Source

Based on NHK WORLD-JAPAN’s “Easy Japanese for Work” Lesson #29
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/easyjapaneseforwork/skit29.html