🤒 Talking About Health and Illness – Intermediate Level (TOPIK 3–4)
🩺 Survival Korean: Describing Health and Illness Like a Local
Feeling unwell in a foreign country can be scary. Teacher Hoon explains the essential Symptoms Vocabulary and phrases you need to communicate clearly at a Korean clinic or pharmacy.
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Precision in Symptoms (EEAT Tip)
At the Intermediate (TOPIK 3-4) level, simply saying "I'm sick" isn't enough. As a teacher with 20 years of experience, I've noticed students confuse pain (아프다) with having a symptom (있다). Knowing the difference helps doctors give you a faster diagnosis. Let's master the patterns.
📑 Tap to view Medical Roadmap
1. Essential Health Vocabulary
- 🤧 감기 (Gam-gi) - A cold
- 🔥 열 (Yeol) - Fever
- 🤕 두통 (Du-tong) - Headache
- 🤢 복통 (Bok-tong) - Stomachache
- 💊 약 / 약국 (Yak / Yak-guk) - Medicine / Pharmacy
- 👨⚕️ 의사 / 병원 (Ui-sa / Byeong-won) - Doctor / Hospital
2. Describing Your Condition
- 📍 -이/가 아파요: Use for physical pain in a body part.
(e.g., 머리가 아파요 - My head hurts.) - 🤒 -이/가 있어요: Use for symptoms like fever or cough.
(e.g., 열이 있어요 - I have a fever.) - 🕰️ -았/었어요: Use for symptoms that started in the past.
(e.g., 어제부터 아팠어요 - I've been sick since yesterday.)
💡 Teacher Hoon's Pro "Cold" Tip
Don't say "I HAVE a cold" like in English. In Korean, we say "감기에 걸렸어요" (I CAUGHT a cold). Using the verb 걸리다 (to be caught/hooked) is the only natural way to describe catching an infectious illness!
🗣 Practice Dialogue: Visiting a Clinic
Doctor: 어디가 아프세요? (Where does it hurt?)
Patient: 배가 아파요. 그리고 열도 조금 있어요. (My stomach hurts. And I also have a slight fever.)
Doctor: 언제부터 아프셨어요? (Since when have you been hurting?)
Patient: 어제 저녁부터요. (Since yesterday evening.)
💡 Did You Know? Korean Clinic Culture
In Korea, clinics are highly specialized. If you have a stomachache, look for a 내과 (Internal Medicine). For a toothache, a 치과 (Dentist), and for a skin issue, a 피부과 (Dermatology). Pharmacies (약국) are usually right next door to clinics and are marked with a large 약 sign. Medical care is exceptionally fast and affordable!
Want to Practice a "Doctor Visit" Roleplay?
Don't wait for an emergency to practice! Book a 1:1 "Survival Life" session with Hoon on italki. We'll simulate visiting a clinic, explaining detailed symptoms, and understanding pharmacist instructions until you're fully prepared.
🚀 Master Survival Korean with Hoon
Related Lessons:
Polite Essentials |
Dining Out in Korea
