Japanese word

花粉症

Pronunciation

Romajikafunshō

Meaning

  • nounhay fever

Example

私は花粉症で、目がかゆいです。watashi wa ka fun shō de me ga ka yu i de su

I have hay fever, and my eyes are itchy.

Illustration for 花粉症 (hay fever)

More examples

春になると、花粉症の症状がひどくなります。haru ni na ru to ka fun shō no shō jō ga hi do ku na ri ma su

When spring comes, my hay fever symptoms get worse.

Core concept

Refers to the body's seasonal sensitivity to pollen, commonly felt as sneezing, a runny nose, or itchy eyes.

Common phrases

  • 花粉症になるka fun shō ni na ru

    develop hay fever

  • 花粉症の症状ka fun shō no shō jō

    hay fever symptoms

Similar words

アレルギー性鼻炎arerugīseibien: Nasal inflammation caused by an allergy, with triggers that may include pollen, dust, or animal hair.

Definition in Japanese

花粉が原因で生じる、くしゃみや鼻水、目のかゆみなどのアレルギー性の症状。ka fun ga gen in de shō ji ru ku sha mi ya hana mizu me no ka yu mi na do no a re ru gī sei no shō jō

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 花粉症 (kafunshō) combines 花 (ka, "flower") and 粉 (fun, "powder") to form 花粉 (kafun, "pollen"), while 症 (shō, "symptom") marks a condition.

Usage tips

  • The English term hay fever is used even when the trigger is tree or grass pollen rather than hay.

Word lists with this word