肺炎(はいえん)

肺炎(はいえん) is the general term for pneumonia — an infection that inflames the air sacs in the lungs.

Forms

肺(はい) (lung) + 炎(えん) (inflammation). The ～炎(えん) suffix is used for many inflammatory conditions: 胃炎(いえん) (gastritis), 関節炎(かんせつえん) (arthritis), 気管支炎(きかんしえん) (bronchitis).

Types

• 細菌性(さいきんせい)肺炎(はいえん): bacterial pneumonia
• ウイルス性(せい)肺炎(はいえん): viral pneumonia
• 誤嚥性(ごえんせい)肺炎(はいえん): aspiration pneumonia
• 間質性(かんしつせい)肺炎(はいえん): interstitial pneumonia

Common collocations

• 肺炎(はいえん)にかかる: to catch pneumonia
• 肺炎(はいえん)で入院(にゅういん)する: to be hospitalized with pneumonia
• 肺炎(はいえん)ワクチン: pneumonia vaccine
• 肺炎球菌(はいえんきゅうきん): pneumococcus

Usage

肺炎(はいえん) is one of the leading causes of death among elderly people in Japan. 誤嚥性(ごえんせい)肺炎(はいえん) (aspiration pneumonia) is especially common in the elderly.