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B1 noun 2 min read

診察室

When you go to a clinic or hospital in Japan, you'll hear the word 診察室 (shinsatsushitsu). This literally means "examination room" and it's where the doctor will see you.

It's important to remember this word, especially if you're trying to find your way around a medical facility.

You might hear phrases like 「診察室でお待ちください」 (shinsatsushitsu de omachi kudasai - Please wait in the examination room) or 「次の患者さんは診察室へどうぞ」 (tsugi no kanja-san wa shinsatsushitsu e douzo - Next patient, please go to the examination room).

Knowing 診察室 will help you navigate medical appointments more smoothly in Japan.

Practice it Examples

§ Don't confuse it with other room types

Many learners, especially at the B1 level, tend to generalize the meaning of room-related vocabulary. While 診察室 (shinsatsushitsu) clearly means 'examination room,' some might incorrectly use it in situations where a more general term for a room in a hospital, like 病室 (byōshitsu - patient's room) or 待合室 (machiaishitsu - waiting room), would be appropriate. Remember, 診察室 is very specific to the act of examination by a doctor.

DEFINITION: 病室 (byōshitsu): Patient's room, ward.

彼は病室で休んでいる。(Kare wa byōshitsu de yasunde iru.)
Hint: He is resting in his patient's room.

DEFINITION: 待合室 (machiaishitsu): Waiting room.

待合室で名前が呼ばれるのを待っています。(Machiaishitsu de namae ga yobareru no o matte imasu.)
Hint: I am waiting for my name to be called in the waiting room.

§ Using it for non-medical examinations

While 診察 (shinsatsu) means 'medical examination,' some learners might mistakenly apply 診察室 to any room where an examination takes place, even if it's not medical. For example, a room where you take a written test or an interview is not a 診察室. That's a test room (試験室 - shiken shitsu) or interview room (面接室 - mensetsu shitsu) respectively.

DEFINITION: 試験室 (shiken shitsu): Test room.

試験室に入ってください。(Shiken shitsu ni haitte kudasai.)
Hint: Please enter the test room.

DEFINITION: 面接室 (mensetsu shitsu): Interview room.

面接室は二階です。(Mensetsu shitsu wa nikai desu.)
Hint: The interview room is on the second floor.

§ Pronunciation pitfalls

While not a 'mistake' in meaning, incorrect pronunciation can hinder communication. 診察室 (shinsatsushitsu) has a few tricky sounds for English speakers:

The 'shi' sound in 診 (shin) is like 'she' in English, but shorter and crisper.
The double 'tsu' in 察室 (satsushitsu) requires a slight pause, almost like a glottal stop, between the 'tsu' and 'shi' to differentiate it from a single 'tsu'.
The 'u' at the end of 'shitsu' is often devoiced, meaning it's barely pronounced, like a whisper, especially in fast speech.

診察室はこちらです。(Shinsatsushitsu wa kochira desu.)
Hint: The examination room is this way.

Difficulty Rating

Reading 2/5

The kanji are common enough, but the combination might be new.

Writing 2/5

Writing these kanji correctly takes some practice.

Speaking 1/5

Pronunciation is straightforward.

Listening 1/5

Clearly distinguishable in speech.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

医者 (isha - doctor) 患者 (kanja - patient) 部屋 (heya - room)

Learn Next

病院 (byouin - hospital) 受付 (uketsuke - reception) 薬局 (yakkyoku - pharmacy)

Advanced

手術室 (shujutsushitsu - operating room) 待合室 (machiaishitsu - waiting room)

Examples by Level

診察室はどこですか？

Where is the examination room?

診察室に入ってください。

Please enter the examination room.

診察室で先生を待ちます。

I will wait for the doctor in the examination room.

診察室はきれいです。

The examination room is clean.

診察室で話しましょう。

Let's talk in the examination room.

診察室はあそこです。

The examination room is over there.

診察室の前で待っています。

I am waiting in front of the examination room.

診察室には誰もいません。

There is no one in the examination room.

診察室でお待ちください。

Please wait in the examination room.

医師は診察室にいます。

The doctor is in the examination room.

診察室はどこですか？

Where is the examination room?

次の患者さんは診察室へどうぞ。

Next patient, please go to the examination room.

診察室で服を脱ぎました。

I took off my clothes in the examination room.

看護師が診察室に案内してくれた。

The nurse guided me to the examination room.

診察室は清潔でした。

The examination room was clean.

診察室で少し緊張しました。

I was a little nervous in the examination room.

診察室でお待ちください。

Please wait in the examination room.

先生は診察室にいらっしゃいますか？

Is the doctor in the examination room?

次の患者さんは診察室へどうぞ。

Next patient, please come into the examination room.

診察室はあちらです。

The examination room is over there.

診察室から声が聞こえました。

I heard voices from the examination room.

看護師が診察室に案内してくれました。

The nurse guided me to the examination room.

診察室のドアが閉まっていました。

The examination room door was closed.

診察室で先生の説明を聞きました。

I listened to the doctor's explanation in the examination room.

緊急の患者さんなので、すぐに診察室へご案内してください。

Since it's an urgent patient, please guide them to the examination room immediately.

「緊急の患者さん」 (kinkyū no kanja-san) means 'urgent patient'. 「ご案内ください」 (go-annai kudasai) is a polite request to guide someone.

診察室の前には、すでに多くの患者さんが待っていました。

In front of the examination room, many patients were already waiting.

「すでに」 (sudeni) means 'already'. 「待っていました」 (matte imashita) is the past continuous form of 'to wait'.

医師が診察室から出てきて、次の患者さんの名前を呼びました。

The doctor came out of the examination room and called the next patient's name.

「出てきて」 (dete kite) is the te-form of 「出てくる」 (dete kuru), meaning 'to come out'. 「呼びました」 (yobimashita) is the past tense of 'to call'.

看護師は診察室を消毒し、次の患者さんの準備をしました。

The nurse disinfected the examination room and prepared for the next patient.

「消毒し」 (shōdoku shi) is the te-form of 「消毒する」 (shōdoku suru), meaning 'to disinfect'. 「準備をしました」 (junbi o shimashita) means 'prepared'.

患者さんは、診察室での検査結果について心配そうでした。

The patient seemed worried about the test results in the examination room.

「〜について」 (ni tsuite) means 'about'. 「心配そうでした」 (shinpai sō deshita) means 'seemed worried'.

新しい医療機器が診察室に導入され、診断がより正確になりました。

New medical equipment was introduced into the examination room, and diagnoses became more accurate.

「導入され」 (dōnyū sare) is the passive te-form of 「導入する」 (dōnyū suru), meaning 'to introduce'. 「より正確になりました」 (yori seikaku ni narimashita) means 'became more accurate'.

診察室の換気が不十分だと、感染のリスクが高まります。

If the ventilation in the examination room is insufficient, the risk of infection increases.

「換気が不十分だと」 (kanki ga fujūbun da to) means 'if ventilation is insufficient'. 「高まります」 (takamarimasu) means 'increases'.

診察室のドアには、「使用中」のサインがかけられていました。

A 'in use' sign was hung on the examination room door.

「〜には」 (ni wa) indicates location. 「かけられていました」 (kakerarete imashita) is the passive past continuous form, meaning 'was being hung' or 'was hung'.