Doctor

Korean Basic Conversation 2

Chapter 8 · At the Doctor & the Pharmacy

🏥 At the Doctor & the Pharmacy — 병원과 약국

Being ill in a foreign language is stressful, so this chapter is built to be useful before it is perfect. You will learn to say where it hurts, what you feel and since when, to understand a doctor's instructions (do this, don't do that), and to follow a pharmacist's directions for taking medicine. Dialogs have a Hard words note under them; the tables keep the "Say it" column. If you have a serious emergency, see Chapter 12 for the numbers to call.

eo = ㅓ (short, open "uh") eu = ㅡ (unrounded "oo") kk, tt, pp, ss, jj = tense (tight, unaspirated) consonants [ ] = how the word is actually said, where it differs from the spelling

① Not Feeling Well — 어디가 안 좋으세요?

A: 어디가 안 좋으세요? What seems to be the problem?

B: 머리가 아프고 열이 나요. I have a headache and a fever.

A: 언제부터 아팠어요? Since when have you been feeling ill?

B: 어제부터 아팠어요. Since yesterday.

Hard words: 안 좋으세요 an jo-eu-se-yo · 열이 나요 yeo-ri na-yo · 아프고 a-peu-go · 언제부터 eon-je-bu-teo · 아팠어요 a-pa-sseo-yo

② Registration — 접수 도와 드릴게요

A: 처음 오셨어요? Is this your first visit?

B: 네, 처음이에요. Yes, it's my first time.

A: 여기에 이름하고 연락처를 쓰세요. 보험증 있으세요? Please write your name and contact number here. Do you have your insurance card?

B: 네, 여기 있어요. Yes, here it is.

Hard words: 접수 jeop-ssu · 오셨어요 o-syeo-sseo-yo · 연락처 yeol-lak-cheo · 보험증 bo-heom-jjeung · 쓰세요 sseu-se-yo

③ The Examination — 목이 부었네요

A: 입을 벌려 보세요. 목이 많이 부었네요. Please open your mouth. Your throat is very swollen.

B: 감기예요? Is it a cold?

A: 네, 감기에 걸렸어요. 주사를 맞고 약을 드세요. Yes, you've caught a cold. Have an injection and take the medicine.

B: 알겠습니다. 감사합니다. Understood. Thank you.

Hard words: 벌려 보세요 beol-lyeo bo-se-yo · 부었네요 bu-eon-ne-yo · 걸렸어요 geol-lyeo-sseo-yo · 주사 ju-sa · 맞고 mat-kko

④ Doctor's Orders — 술을 마시면 안 돼요

A: 술을 마시면 안 돼요. You must not drink alcohol.

B: 운동은요? 해도 돼요? And exercise? May I do it?

A: 운동도 하지 마세요. 푹 쉬세요. Don't exercise either. Rest well.

B: 물은 많이 마셔도 돼요? May I drink plenty of water?

A: 네, 물은 많이 드세요. Yes, drink plenty of water.

Hard words: 안 돼요 an dwae-yo · 해도 돼요 hae-do dwae-yo · 하지 마세요 ha-ji ma-se-yo · 푹 puk · 드세요 deu-se-yo

⑤ At the Pharmacy — 하루에 세 번 드세요

A: 처방전 가지고 왔어요. I've brought a prescription.

B: 네, 약 드릴게요. 하루에 세 번, 식후 삼십 분에 드세요. Yes, here's your medicine. Take it three times a day, 30 minutes after meals.

A: 한 번에 몇 알이에요? How many tablets each time?

B: 한 알이에요. 오 일 동안 드세요. 빨리 나으세요! One tablet. Take it for five days. Get well soon!

Hard words: 처방전 cheo-bang-jeon · 가지고 왔어요 ga-ji-go wa-sseo-yo · 식후 sik-hu · 알 al · 동안 dong-an · 나으세요 na-eu-se-yo

⑥ Two Friends (casual) — 빨리 나아!

A: 너 안색이 안 좋아. 어디 아파? You look pale. Are you ill?

B: 응, 배가 너무 아파. 어제 매운 걸 많이 먹었어. Yeah, my stomach really hurts. I ate lots of spicy food yesterday.

A: 병원에 가 봐! Go and see a doctor!

B: 약국부터 갈게. 고마워. I'll start with the pharmacy. Thanks.

A: 푹 쉬어! 빨리 나아! Rest well! Get well soon!

Hard words: 안색 an-saek · 배가 아파 bae-ga a-pa · 가 봐 ga bwa · 약국부터 yak-guk-bu-teo · 나아 na-a

🗝️ Key Phrases — 중요한 표현

Situation	Polite	Casual
Where does it hurt?	어디가 아파요? eo-di-ga a-pa-yo?	어디가 아파? eo-di-ga a-pa?
My … hurts.	…이/가 아파요. …i/ga a-pa-yo.	…이/가 아파. …i/ga a-pa.
I don't feel well.	몸이 안 좋아요. mo-mi an jo-a-yo.	몸이 안 좋아. mo-mi an jo-a.
Since when have you been ill?	언제부터 아팠어요? eon-je-bu-teo a-pa-sseo-yo?	언제부터 아팠어? eon-je-bu-teo a-pa-sseo?
Are you OK?	괜찮으세요? gwaen-cha-neu-se-yo?	괜찮아? gwaen-cha-na?
Get well soon!	빨리 나으세요! ppal-li na-eu-se-yo!	빨리 나아! ppal-li na-a!

🔤 Three Words for Illness — 동사

Word	Everyday polite (-요)	Formal (-ㅂ니다)	Casual
to hurt; to be ill (아프다)	아파요 a-pa-yo	아픕니다 a-peum-ni-da	아파 a-pa
to get better (낫다)	나아요 na-a-yo	낫습니다 nat-sseum-ni-da	나아 na-a
to catch (a cold); to take (time) (걸리다)	걸려요 geol-lyeo-yo	걸립니다 geol-lim-ni-da	걸려 geol-lyeo

아프다 follows the ㅡ-drop rule from Chapter 4 (아프 + 아요 → 아파요). 낫다 is a "ㅅ-irregular" verb: the ㅅ disappears before a vowel (나아요, 나으세요) but stays before a consonant (낫습니다). Learn it as the verb for "getting well".

🧱 Five Tools for the Doctor

1. Where does it hurt? — 이/가 아파요

In Korean, you do not "have" a headache; the part of the body hurts: 머리가 아파요, 배가 아파요, 목이 아파요. Doctors ask 어디가 아파요? or the more polite 어디가 안 좋으세요? You can also simply point and say 여기가 아파요 ("it hurts here").

English	Korean	Say it	English	Korean	Say it
head	머리	meo-ri	stomach; belly	배	bae
face	얼굴	eol-gul	(lower) back	허리	heo-ri
eye	눈	nun	back	등	deung
nose	코	ko	arm	팔	pal
mouth	입	ip	hand	손	son
ear	귀	gwi	leg	다리	da-ri
throat; neck	목	mok	foot	발	bal
shoulder	어깨	eo-kkae	tooth	이	i

2. Symptoms — 증상

English	Korean	Say it
I have a fever.	열이 나요.	yeo-ri na-yo
I have a cough.	기침이 나요.	gi-chi-mi na-yo
I have a runny nose.	콧물이 나요.	kon-mu-ri na-yo
I've caught a cold.	감기에 걸렸어요.	gam-gi-e geol-lyeo-sseo-yo
I feel dizzy.	어지러워요.	eo-ji-reo-wo-yo
I have an upset stomach.	배탈이 났어요.	bae-ta-ri na-sseo-yo
I've hurt myself.	다쳤어요.	da-chyeo-sseo-yo

To say since when, add 부터 after a time word: 어제부터 (since yesterday), 이틀 전부터 (since two days ago), 아침부터 (since the morning). 어지러워요 is another ㅂ-irregular word (Chapter 6).

3. Doing and not doing — three endings you will hear

Ending	Meaning	Example	Say it
-(으)세요	please do (instruction)	푹 쉬세요	puk swi-se-yo
-지 마세요	please don't	운동하지 마세요	un-dong-ha-ji ma-se-yo
-(으)면 안 돼요	you must not	술을 마시면 안 돼요	su-reul ma-si-myeon an dwae-yo
-아/어도 돼요	you may; it's OK to	물을 마셔도 돼요	mu-reul ma-syeo-do dwae-yo

For -(으)면 안 돼요, add -면 to a vowel stem and -으면 to a consonant stem: 하다 → 하면, 먹다 → 먹으면. In the doctor's office the polite word for "eat/drink" is 드세요 (물을 많이 드세요, "drink plenty of water"), the honorific of 먹다/마시다.

4. Taking medicine — 약 먹는 방법

English	Korean	Say it
three times a day	하루에 세 번	ha-ru-e se beon
after meals	식후에	si-ku-e
before meals	식전에	sik-jeo-ne
30 minutes after meals	식후 삼십 분에	si-ku sam-sip bu-ne
one tablet at a time	한 번에 한 알	han beo-ne han al
for five days	오 일 동안	o il dong-an
before bed	자기 전에	ja-gi jeo-ne

The frequency pattern is the one from Chapter 2 (하루에 세 번 = "three times a day"). 알 is the counter for pills and small round things, with native numbers: 한 알, 두 알.

5. Places and people — 병원, 약국

English	Korean	Say it
hospital; clinic	병원	byeong-won
pharmacy	약국	yak-guk
internal medicine (general illness)	내과	nae-kkwa
ear, nose and throat	이비인후과	i-bi-in-hu-gwa
orthopaedics (bones, joints)	정형외과	jeong-hyeong-oe-gwa
dentist	치과	chi-gwa
painkiller	진통제	jin-tong-je
digestive medicine	소화제	so-hwa-je

📖 Vocabulary — 어휘

#	Korean	Say it	English	Type
1	병원	byeong-won	hospital; clinic	noun
2	약국	yak-guk	pharmacy	noun
3	의사	ui-sa	doctor	noun
4	간호사	gan-ho-sa	nurse	noun
5	약	yak	medicine	noun
6	처방전	cheo-bang-jeon	prescription	noun
7	감기	gam-gi	cold (illness)	noun
8	열	yeol	fever; heat	noun
9	기침	gi-chim	cough	noun
10	목	mok	throat; neck	noun
11	배	bae	stomach; belly	noun
12	허리	heo-ri	lower back; waist	noun
13	주사	ju-sa	injection	noun
14	진통제	jin-tong-je	painkiller	noun
15	소화제	so-hwa-je	digestive medicine	noun
16	보험	bo-heom	insurance	noun
17	아프다	a-peu-da	to hurt; to be ill	adjective
18	낫다	nat-tta	to get better; recover	verb
19	걸리다	geol-li-da	to catch (illness); to take (time)	verb
20	푹	puk	thoroughly; deeply (as in rest well)	adverb

Walk-In Clinics and Pharmacies Korean towns have many small neighbourhood clinics, each specialising in one area (a 내과 for colds and stomach problems, an 이비인후과 for ear, nose and throat), and you can often walk straight into the right one. After seeing the doctor you usually take the 처방전 to a 약국, where the pharmacist prepares the medicine. For a minor ailment you can also go to a pharmacy directly and say 감기약 주세요 ("cold medicine, please").

배: Belly, Pear or Boat 배 means "stomach", "pear" and "boat". Like 눈 (snow and eye) in Chapter 6, context decides: 배가 아파요 is a stomach ache, 배가 맛있어요 a tasty pear. The "ㅡ-drop + 아요" rule also gives 배가 고파요 ("I'm hungry", from 고프다) and 배가 불러요 ("I'm full").

Ill in Korea: Food and Phrases When someone is ill, Koreans traditionally eat 죽, a soft rice porridge, and a friend will say 몸조심하세요 ("take care of yourself"). When you say you feel unwell, expect the kind answer 괜찮으세요? and the simple order 푹 쉬세요. They will not think it rude to ask 약 먹었어요? ("did you take medicine?").

As Heard in Dramas — 드라마에서 A drama character who is ill gets the full treatment: a hand on the forehead (열이 나네!, "you've got a fever!"), a worried 괜찮아?, and often a carer who stays by the bed all night. 병문안 means visiting someone in hospital, and a visitor traditionally brings fruit or a small gift.

Grammar Pointer 안 and 못 are in Korean Basic Conversation 2, Chapter 9; the honorific -(으)세요 appeared in Chapter 6 (입으세요) and in Korean Basic Conversation 1 (주세요). The ㅂ-irregular pattern (어지러워요) is in Chapter 6. The frequency phrase 하루에 세 번 is from Chapter 2, and the serious-emergency vocabulary is in Chapter 12.

✍️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Tell the doctor "I have a headache."

Show answer

머리가 아파요.

2. Say "I have a fever and a cough."

Show answer

열이 나고 기침이 나요.

3. Say "I've been ill since yesterday."

Show answer

어제부터 아팠어요.

4. You are the doctor. Tell the patient "Don't drink alcohol. Rest well."

Show answer

술을 마시지 마세요. 푹 쉬세요.

5. The pharmacist says: "Take this medicine three times a day after meals." Say it in Korean.

Show answer

이 약은 하루에 세 번 식후에 드세요.

6. Tell a sick friend casually, "Get well soon!"

Show answer

빨리 나아! (polite: 빨리 나으세요!)