悪心

• Reading: おしん
• Romaji: oshin
• Kanji breakdown: 悪 (o/aku) — bad, unpleasant; 心 (shin/kokoro) — heart, feeling, mind
• Pronunciation: /o.ɕi.ɴ/

Meaning

Nausea; a feeling of wanting to vomit; queasiness.

A medical term for nausea used in clinical settings, typically written in patient charts and medical records. Often appears paired with 嘔吐 (vomiting) as 悪心・嘔吐 in symptom listings. Note that 悪心 can also be read あくしん meaning malicious intent, so context determines interpretation. The おしん reading is exclusive to the medical symptom.

Examples

1. 薬の副作用で悪心が続き、食事がとれなかった。 I experienced persistent nausea as a side effect of the medication and couldn't eat.
2. 船に乗ってから悪心を覚え、甲板に出て空気を吸った。 After boarding the ship, I felt nauseous and went out on deck to get some fresh air.
3. 妊娠初期には悪心やだるさが続くことが多い。 During the early stages of pregnancy, it's common to experience ongoing nausea and fatigue.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, clinical records, symptom reporting, pregnancy

Tone: clinical

Origin & History

Compound of 悪 (o, bad/unpleasant) and 心 (shin/kokoro, heart/feeling). In this reading, it refers to an unpleasant sensation in the stomach — a feeling of illness rather than malice.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: General