下痢

• Reading: げり
• Romaji: geri
• Kanji breakdown: 下 (ge) — down, below; 痢 (ri) — diarrhoea, dysentery
• Pronunciation: /ɡe.ɾi/

Meaning

Diarrhoea. A common medical term for loose or watery bowel movements.

A する verb (intransitive) used in both casual and medical contexts. Despite being a bodily function, the word itself is not vulgar and is used straightforwardly in clinics and pharmacies. Common phrases: 下痢をする (to have diarrhoea), 下痢止め (anti-diarrhoeal medicine). The opposite condition is 便秘 (constipation).

Examples

1. 昨日から下痢が続いていて、病院に行くことにした。 I've had diarrhea since yesterday, so I decided to go to the doctor.
2. 冷たいものを食べすぎて下痢をしてしまった。 I ate too much cold food and ended up with diarrhea.
3. 薬局で下痢止めの薬を買ってきてくれる？ Can you pick up some anti-diarrheal medicine from the pharmacy?

Usage Guide

Context: health, medical, pharmacy

Tone: clinical

Origin & History

Compound of 下 (down, below) + 痢 (diarrhoea, dysentery). The character 痢 contains the illness radical 疒, indicating a medical condition.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal