肥満（ひまん、himan）
- obesity

The Japanese word 肥満, pronounced ひまん (himan), means "obesity" or "corpulence." It refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat, potentially leading to health problems. It's a medical term used to describe a state beyond being simply "overweight." The term emphasizes the accumulation of fat that impacts health.

⚫︎彼女は肥満です。 Translation: She is obese. ⚫︎最近、日本でも子供の肥満が増えています。 Translation: Recently, obesity in children is increasing in Japan as well. ⚫︎肥満は様々な健康問題を引き起こす可能性があります。 Translation: Obesity can cause various health problems.

This word is used in formal and informal contexts when discussing a person's weight and health. It's common in medical discussions, news reports about health, or personal conversations where someone is concerned about their weight or the weight of another person. It's generally a sensitive topic, so the context matters.

⚫︎The standard way to write this word is with the kanji 肥満. ⚫︎The reading is ひまん (hiragana). ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana for this word.

There aren't many direct synonyms in Japanese, but words or phrases that relate to being overweight can be used. ⚫︎太っている (futotteiru) - "is fat/overweight" (more general and less formal) ⚫︎太りすぎ (futorisugi) - "too fat/overweight" (implies an excess)

⚫︎痩せ (yase) - "thinness" ⚫︎痩せている (yaseteiru) - "is thin" or "is underweight"

彼女は肥満のため、医者にダイエットを勧められました。 ・Translation: She was recommended to diet by her doctor because of her obesity. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the use of 肥満 in a medical context, highlighting the health implications.

肥満は生活習慣病のリスクを高めます。 ・Translation: Obesity increases the risk of lifestyle-related diseases. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the association between 肥満 and health risks, often used in public health information.

The word 肥満 is a compound word. ⚫︎肥 (hi) means "fertile," "rich," or "fat." In this context, it contributes the meaning of "fat" or "excess." ⚫︎満 (man) means "full" or "complete." Therefore, 肥満 suggests a state of being "fully fat" or "excessively fat," thus describing obesity.