軽症

• Reading: けいしょう
• Romaji: keishou
• Kanji breakdown: 軽 (kei) — light, minor; 症 (shou) — symptom, illness
• Pronunciation: /keː.ɕoː/

Meaning

Minor illness; mild condition. A medical condition that is not serious.

A noun and no-adjective (軽症の) used as the opposite of 重症. Indicates that a condition or injury is not severe. Frequently used in news reports and medical contexts, such as 軽症で済む (to get off with only minor injuries) and 軽症者 (person with mild symptoms).

Examples

1. 幸い軽症で済んで退院も早かった。 Fortunately, it was only minor, and I was discharged from the hospital quickly.
2. 軽症の患者は自宅で療養するよう指示された。 Patients with mild symptoms were instructed to recuperate at home.
3. 事故の負傷者はほとんどが軽症だった。 Most of the people injured in the accident had only minor injuries.

Usage Guide

Context: health, news, medical reports

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 軽 (kei, light/minor) and 症 (shou, symptom/illness). Literally 'light symptoms,' indicating a condition of minimal severity.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal