Word of the Week #2: hay fever (花粉症)

“Do you have a cold today?” “No, it’s hay fever.”
「今日は風邪をひいてるの？」「違うよ、花粉症です。」

Hay fever is similar to a cold, but it is caused by an allergic reaction to pollen. In spring, flowers and plants start to release pollen, and people with hay fever show symptoms such as sneezing and itchy eyes.
花粉症は、風邪に似ていますが、花粉によるアレルギー反応です。春になると、花や植物が花粉を放って、人々はくしゃみや目のかゆみで悩まされます。