1.
comprehensive medical checkup; thorough physical examination
A comprehensive one-day or multi-day health examination that includes blood tests, imaging, internal organ checks, and other detailed screening. More thorough than a standard health checkup and typically paid for privately.
人間ドックを受ける。
To have a comprehensive medical checkup.
毎年人間ドックを受けている。
I have a comprehensive medical checkup every year.
人間ドックで胃に異常が見つかった。
An abnormality was found in my stomach during the comprehensive checkup.
四十歳を過ぎてから、人間ドックを定期的に受けるようになった。
After turning forty, I started getting comprehensive medical checkups regularly.
Composed of 人間 (human) + ドック (dock), borrowing the nautical metaphor of a ship entering dry dock for thorough maintenance. A Japanese-coined term referring to a voluntary, comprehensive health checkup that goes well beyond the basic annual checkup. Not usually covered by public health insurance, though many employers and insurance plans subsidize it.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 人間ドックを受ける: to have a comprehensive medical checkup
- 人間ドックの結果: comprehensive checkup results
- 人間ドックの予約: comprehensive checkup reservation
- 一日人間ドック: one-day comprehensive checkup
- 日帰り人間ドック: same-day (non-overnight) comprehensive checkup
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 健康診断: health checkup — the basic annual checkup, usually free through employers or municipalities
- 定期健診: regular health checkup — routine, employer-provided
- 脳ドック: brain checkup — a specialized version focusing on the brain (using MRI/CT)
CULTURAL NOTE:
人間ドックs are a distinctively Japanese institution and are associated with taking preventive care of one's health, especially from middle age onward. They are often considered a responsible "adult" habit.