貧血

• Reading: ひんけつ
• Romaji: hinketsu
• Kanji breakdown: 貧 (hin) — poor, lacking; 血 (ketsu) — blood
• Pronunciation: /çiɴ.ke.tsɯ/

Meaning

Anaemia; a condition characterised by a deficiency of red blood cells or haemoglobin.

A medical noun describing a state where the blood lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells. Common in everyday conversation as well as medical contexts. The expression 貧血を起こす means to have an anaemia attack or to feel faint. Also used figuratively to describe something lacking vitality or substance.

Examples

1. 朝礼の最中に貧血を起こして倒れてしまった。 I fainted during the morning assembly after having an anemia attack.
2. 鉄分が不足すると貧血になりやすい。 You're prone to anemia when you don't get enough iron.
3. 健康診断で貧血だと指摘された。 I was told I had anemia during my health checkup.

Usage Guide

Context: health, medical, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 貧 (hin, poor/lacking) + 血 (ketsu, blood). Literally 'poor blood,' directly describing the deficiency of healthy blood components.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal