健康（けんこう、kenkou）
- health

The Japanese word 健康, pronounced けんこう (kenkou), primarily means "health," "good health," or "wellness." It encompasses both physical and mental well-being. It's a broad term used to describe a state of being free from illness and disease, as well as feeling vital and energetic. It signifies a holistic sense of well-being, encompassing physical, mental, and sometimes even spiritual aspects. The concept goes beyond simply not being sick; it also implies a state of vitality and strength. 健康 can also be used to describe the condition of something in good working order.

⚫︎健康な体を作るために運動をします。 ・Translation: I exercise to build a healthy body. ⚫︎毎日、健康的な食事を心がけています。 ・Translation: I try to eat a healthy diet every day. ⚫︎彼の健康状態は良好です。 ・Translation: His health condition is good.

⚫︎You can use 健康 in various contexts when discussing health. ⚫︎It can be used to describe someone's state of being or the quality of something (like a diet or lifestyle). ⚫︎It's common in conversations about medical check-ups, lifestyles, or expressing concern for someone's well-being. ⚫︎When expressing wishes for someone's well-being, you can use phrases like お健康を祈っています (I wish you good health).

⚫︎健康 is typically written in kanji: 健康. ⚫︎The reading けんこう is written in hiragana. ⚫︎While less common, you could encounter 健康 written in katakana if used for emphasis or in a context like advertising. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana.

⚫︎元気 (げんき - genki): This means "元気" (genki) can translate to "元気" (genki) or "元気" (genki) with more emphasis on vitality and energy. ⚫︎丈夫 (じょうぶ - joubu): "Strong," "robust," often used for physical strength. ⚫︎体調 (たいちょう - taichou): "Physical condition"

⚫︎病気 (びょうき - byouki): "Illness," "sickness" ⚫︎不健康 (ふけんこう - fukenkou): "Unhealthy" ⚫︎体調不良 (たいちょうふりょう - taichou furyou): "Poor physical condition"

私は毎朝、健康のためにジョギングをしています。 ・Translation: I jog every morning for my health. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the speaker runs every morning to improve or maintain their health.

会社の定期検診で、健康診断を受けました。 ・Translation: I had a health checkup at the company's regular checkup. ・Explanation: This sentence describes undergoing a health examination or medical checkup at one's company.

The word 健康 is a compound word. The first character 健 (ken) means "healthy," "strong," or "robust." The second character 康 (kou) means "peace," "ease," or "comfort." Thus, the combination of these characters creates the meaning of "healthy" and "in a state of ease," or "wellness." The word originated from Chinese, and it was adopted into the Japanese language.