点滴

• Reading: てんてき
• Romaji: tenteki
• Kanji breakdown: 点 (ten) — point, drop, dot; 滴 (teki) — drip, drop
• Pronunciation: /teɴ.te.ki/

Meaning

Intravenous drip; IV drip. A method of delivering fluids or medicine directly into a vein.

A noun whose literal meaning is 'dripping drops,' but in modern Japanese it overwhelmingly refers to an intravenous drip (IV). Extremely common in hospital and clinic settings — 点滴を打つ/受ける (to receive an IV drip) is a standard phrase. Used when patients are dehydrated, need medication intravenously, or cannot take oral medicine.

Examples

1. 脱水症状がひどかったので、病院で点滴を受けた。 My dehydration was severe, so I received an IV drip at the hospital.
2. 風邪をこじらせて、点滴を打ってもらった。 My cold got worse, so I had an IV drip administered.
3. 入院中は毎日点滴をしていたので、腕が痛かった。 I was getting an IV drip every day during my hospital stay, so my arm hurt.

Usage Guide

Context: hospitals, medical, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 点 (ten, point/drop) + 滴 (teki, drip/drop). Literally 'dripping drops' — originally described any dripping liquid, but now primarily used for the medical IV drip procedure.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal