1.
hypothermia; low body temperature
A condition in which the body's core temperature drops below the normal range. Can be caused by prolonged exposure to cold, certain medical conditions, or poor circulation. Also used colloquially for people who tend to have a naturally low body temperature.
低体温に注意してください。
Please watch out for hypothermia.
冬山では低体温症になる危険がある。
There is a risk of hypothermia in the winter mountains.
体が冷えて低体温になると、判断力が鈍り、重大な事故につながることがある。
When the body gets cold and hypothermia sets in, judgment becomes impaired, which can lead to serious accidents.
Composed of 低 (low), 体 (body), and 温 (temperature). The full medical term is 低体温症 with the suffix 症 (condition/syndrome), but 低体温 is commonly used on its own.
In everyday conversation, Japanese people sometimes describe themselves as 低体温体質 (having a low-body-temperature constitution) — meaning they tend to run cold and feel chilly easily. This is distinct from clinical hypothermia.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 低体温症: hypothermia (medical term)
- 低体温になる: to become hypothermic
- 低体温体質: low-body-temperature constitution
- 低体温を防ぐ: to prevent hypothermia
RELATED TERMS:
- 高体温: hyperthermia — abnormally high body temperature
- 体温: body temperature — the base term
- 凍傷: frostbite — localized cold injury, distinct from whole-body hypothermia