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N4Lesson notes · Oct 4, 2026

Blood in Japanese: 血ち (ち), 血液型けつえきがた, 鼻血はなぢ, 献血けんけつ, and 血ちがつながる

"Blood" in Japanese is 血ち (ち). "I'm bleeding" is 血ちが出でている, and a nosebleed is 鼻血はなぢ (はなぢ). Blood type is 血液型けつえきがた (けつえきがた), a popular small-talk topic in Japan, blood donation is 献血けんけつ (けんけつ), and being related by blood is 血ちがつながる.

血ち is a short word with big cultural reach in Japan. People ask about blood types at parties, anime characters get dramatic nosebleeds, and family ties are described as blood that "connects". This post covers the medical words you might need and the cultural ones you will hear.

How do you say "blood" in Japanese?

What does 血ち mean?

血ち (ち) is blood. 血ちが出でる is "to bleed".

指ゆびから血ちが出でている。 — My finger is bleeding. (casual) 血ちが止とまらない。 — The bleeding won't stop. (casual)

For medical places, see hospital in Japanese.

What is 鼻血はなぢ?

鼻血はなぢ (はなぢ) is a nosebleed. Note that ち becomes ぢ. In anime, a sudden nosebleed is a comic sign of excitement.

鼻血はなぢが出でた。 — I got a nosebleed. (casual)

What does 出血しゅっけつ mean?

出血しゅっけつ (しゅっけつ) is bleeding, the medical or formal word. Stores also use 出血しゅっけつ大だいサービス for "huge discount sale", as if bleeding money.

出血しゅっけつ大だいサービス中なか! — Huge bargain sale! (a shop sign)

What is 血液型けつえきがた?

Why do Japanese people ask about blood type?

血液型けつえきがた (けつえきがた) is blood type: A, B, O or AB. Many people in Japan enjoy the popular belief that blood type relates to personality, though there is no scientific basis.

血液型けつえきがたは何型なにがた? — What's your blood type? (casual) 私わたしはA型がたです。 — I'm type A. (polite)

For personality words, see Japanese personality adjectives.

What is 献血けんけつ?

献血けんけつ (けんけつ) is donating blood. You will see blood donation buses in busy city areas.

初はじめて献血けんけつに行いった。 — I went to donate blood for the first time. (casual)

What is 血圧けつあつ?

血圧けつあつ (けつあつ) is blood pressure. 血圧けつあつが高たかい is high blood pressure.

最近さいきん、血圧けつあつが高たかい。 — My blood pressure has been high lately. (casual)

Word Reading Meaning
血ち ち blood
血ちが出でる ちがでる to bleed
鼻血はなぢ はなぢ nosebleed
出血しゅっけつ しゅっけつ bleeding (formal)
血液型けつえきがた けつえきがた blood type
献血けんけつ けんけつ blood donation
血圧けつあつ けつあつ blood pressure
血ちがつながる ちがつながる to be related by blood

Beyond the basics

What does 血ちがつながる mean?

血ちがつながる, "blood connects", means to be related by blood.

血ちはつながっていないけど、本当ほんとうの家族かぞくだ。 — We're not related by blood, but we're a real family. (casual)

What does 血の気ちのけが多おおい mean?

血の気ちのけが多おおい (ちのけがおおい), "lots of blood energy", means hot-blooded and quick to fight.

彼かれは血の気ちのけが多おおい。 — He's hot-blooded. (casual)

What does 血ちも涙なみだもない mean?

血ちも涙なみだもない (ちもなみだもない), "no blood and no tears", means cold-hearted and merciless.

血ちも涙なみだもない上司じょうしだ。 — My boss is completely heartless. (casual)

What other 血ち words are useful at a clinic?

At a Japanese clinic you will often hear 血液検査けつえきけんさ (けつえきけんさ), a blood test, and 採血さいけつ (さいけつ), having blood drawn. Staff may also ask whether you feel faint with 気分きぶんは悪わるくないですか, so it helps to know these before you go.

今日きょうは採血さいけつがあります。 — We'll draw blood today. (polite, said by staff) 血液検査けつえきけんさの結果けっかはいつ出でますか。 — When will the blood test results come out? (polite)

If you feel unwell during a blood draw, you can say 気分きぶんが悪わるいです. Staff hear this every day, and they will let you lie down. Knowing 採血さいけつ and 血液検査けつえきけんさ means a health check in Japan feels much less stressful, because you can follow what the nurse is about to do. Saying 気持ち悪きもちわるい while looking at something can sound like a comment about that thing, so how to say sick in Japanese sets it against 気分きぶんが悪わるい for the moment you feel faint yourself.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 鼻血はなぢ as はなち. It is はなぢ.
  • Reading 血液型けつえきがた as ちえきがた. It is けつえきがた.
  • Thinking blood type personality is science. It is popular culture.
  • Using 出血しゅっけつ casually for a small cut. Say 血ちが出でた.
  • Taking 出血しゅっけつ大だいサービス literally. It means a big sale.

Practice

Try each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair: asking blood type versus answering.

1. Say "My finger is bleeding."

Show answer

指ゆびから血ちが出でている。 — 血ちが出でる.

2. Say "I got a nosebleed."

Show answer

鼻血はなぢが出でた。 — 鼻血はなぢ.

3. Ask a friend casually what their blood type is.

Show answer

血液型けつえきがたは何型なにがた? — 血液型けつえきがた.

4. Answer politely that you're type A.

Show answer

私わたしはA型がたです。 — 〜型がた. This is the pair to question 3.

5. Say "I went to donate blood for the first time."

Show answer

初はじめて献血けんけつに行いった。 — 献血けんけつ.

6. Say "My blood pressure has been high lately."

Show answer

最近さいきん、血圧けつあつが高たかい。 — 血圧けつあつ.

7. Say "We're not related by blood, but we're a real family."

Show answer

血ちはつながっていないけど、本当ほんとうの家族かぞくだ。 — 血ちがつながる.

8. Say "He's hot-blooded."

Show answer

彼かれは血の気ちのけが多おおい。 — 血の気ちのけが多おおい.

9. Say "My boss is completely heartless."

Show answer

血ちも涙なみだもない上司じょうしだ。 — 血ちも涙なみだもない.

10. How do you read 鼻血はなぢ?

Show answer

はなぢ — ち becomes ぢ.

Practise answering 血液型けつえきがたは何型なにがた? in a trial lesson before a Japanese party surprises you with it.

FAQ

How do you say "blood" in Japanese? 血ち (ち).

How do you say "I'm bleeding"? 血ちが出でている.

What is 血液型けつえきがた? Blood type, a popular small-talk topic in Japan.

What is 鼻血はなぢ? A nosebleed.

What is 献血けんけつ? Blood donation.

What does 血ちがつながる mean? To be related by blood.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

血	ち — blood
鼻血	はなぢ — nosebleed
出血	しゅっけつ — bleeding
血液型	けつえきがた — blood type
献血	けんけつ — blood donation
血圧	けつあつ — blood pressure
血がつながる	ちがつながる — to be related by blood
血の気が多い	ちのけがおおい — hot-blooded
血も涙もない	ちもなみだもない — heartless
指	ゆび — finger
血液検査	けつえきけんさ — blood test
採血	さいけつ — drawing blood

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime. 血液型けつえきがたは何型なにがた? is a question learners are always surprised to hear at Japanese parties, and 鼻血はなぢ is the word that explains half the comedy scenes in anime. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or try the Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference dictionaries.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N4 · Read something at this level: JLPT N4 stories with audio

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