The Meaning of shukketsu [出血] In Japanese
出血
しゅっけつ
Romaji: shukketsu
N2
What does 出血 mean?
Translation and Meaning
blood loss, bleeding, hemorrhage
Definition
出血 (shukketsu) means bleeding or hemorrhage. It refers to the condition in which blood leaves the circulatory system—either visible from an external wound or occurring internally in tissues or cavities—and is used clinically and in everyday speech to report symptoms, assess severity, and determine emergency care or treatment needs.
Type
noun (名詞)
Stroke Order
Meanings
- As a clinical descriptor for the amount or rate of blood loss used in triage and medical records rather than a diagnosis.
- Figurative use in commerce to describe selling at a loss or offering heavy discounts (often seen in compound expressions).
- In media reporting it can describe non-medical bloodshed or injuries but is distinct from terms that imply mass violence.
Origin
The compound comes from Sino-Japanese vocabulary inherited from Chinese medical terminology; it became standardized in modern Japanese medical language during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Western clinical practices and modern terminology were integrated into healthcare and public reporting.
Composition
- 出 (shutsu / de): to exit, go out — indicates outward movement.
- 血 (ketsu / chi): blood — denotes bodily blood.
Usage
Used across medical, emergency, and everyday contexts: in hospitals and clinical notes for symptoms and diagnoses, by emergency responders when describing injuries, and colloquially for nosebleeds or abnormal bleeding; the word itself is formal as a noun, while conversational speech often pairs it with the verb する (to bleed) to form an action phrase.
💡 Tips
Remember 出 (to exit) + 血 (blood): imagine blood ‘coming out’—shukketsu = blood exiting the body.
Variations
- 失血 (shikketsu): blood loss (emphasizes quantity lost).
- 流血 (ryūketsu): bleeding or bloodshed (often used for violent incidents).
- 止血 (shiketsu): stopping bleeding (antonym in medical context).
