風邪

• Reading: かぜ
• Romaji: kaze
• Kanji breakdown: 風 (fuu/kaze) — wind; 邪 (ja/yokoshima) — evil, wrong
• Pronunciation: /ka.ze/

Meaning

Common cold; flu. An inflammatory respiratory illness with symptoms like coughing and sneezing.

Specifically refers to the common cold or similar respiratory illnesses. The key verb pairing is 風邪を引く (to catch a cold) — note the use of 引く (pull), not かかる. Other common expressions: 風邪が治る (to recover from a cold) and 風邪気味 (feeling like one is coming down with a cold). Written with the kanji for 'wind' and 'evil,' reflecting the ancient belief that illness was carried by bad winds.

Examples

1. 風邪を引いたので今日は休みます。 I caught a cold, so I'm staying home today.
2. 季節の変わり目は風邪を引きやすい。 It's easy to catch a cold when the seasons change.
3. 風邪が早く治るといいですね。 I hope your cold gets better soon.

Usage Guide

Context: health, daily life, seasons

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 風 (kaze, wind) and 邪 (ja, evil/wrong). Reflects the ancient Chinese medical belief that colds were caused by 'evil winds' entering the body.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal