πŸ€’ Talking About Health and Illness – Intermediate Level (TOPIK 3–4)

Talking About Health and Illness in Korean | Intermediate Korean (TOPIK 3–4)

μ—¬μ„±μ˜μ‚¬κ°€ ν™˜μžλ₯Ό μ§„μ°°ν•˜λŠ” λͺ¨μŠ΅


Need to describe your symptoms in Korean?
This guide teaches key Korean health vocabulary, useful expressions for doctor visits, and cultural tips for polite communication about illness. Perfect for intermediate learners who want to handle real-life situations in Korea confidently.


πŸ“š Table of Contents



🩺 Essential Health Vocabulary

  • 감기 (gam-gi) – cold
  • μ—΄ (yeol) – fever
  • 두톡 (du-tong) – headache
  • 볡톡 (bok-tong) – stomachache
  • 병원 (byeong-won) – hospital/clinic
  • μ•½ (yak) – medicine
  • μ˜μ‚¬ (ui-sa) – doctor
  • μ•„ν”„λ‹€ (a-peu-da) – to be sick/hurt


πŸ“ Key Grammar and Expressions

When talking about health in Korean, you often use:

  • -이/κ°€ μ•„νŒŒμš”: [body part] hurts
    머리가 μ•„νŒŒμš” – Meo-ri-ga a-pa-yo – My head hurts.
  • -이/κ°€ μžˆμ–΄μš”: I have (symptom)
    열이 μžˆμ–΄μš” – Yeol-i it-seo-yo – I have a fever.
  • -μ•˜/μ—ˆμ–΄μš” for past symptoms
    μ–΄μ œ 많이 μ•„νŒ μ–΄μš” – Eo-je ma-ni a-pat-seo-yo – I was very sick yesterday.


πŸ’¬ Example Sentences About Illness

  • μ €λŠ” 감기에 κ±Έλ Έμ–΄μš” – Jeo-neun gam-gi-e geol-ryeo-sseo-yo – I caught a cold.
  • λ°°κ°€ μ•„νŒŒμ„œ 병원에 κ°€κ³  μ‹Άμ–΄μš” – Bae-ga a-pa-seo byeong-won-e ga-go si-peo-yo – My stomach hurts, so I want to go to the hospital.
  • μ–΄μ œ 두톡이 μ‹¬ν–ˆμ–΄μš” – Eo-je du-tong-i sim-haet-seo-yo – I had a severe headache yesterday.
  • 열이 μžˆμ–΄μ„œ 학ꡐ에 λͺ» κ°”μ–΄μš” – Yeol-i it-seo-seo hak-gyo-e mot gat-seo-yo – I couldn’t go to school because I had a fever.

πŸ’‘ Note: Notice how “μ•„νŒŒμš”” is used for body parts and “μžˆμ–΄μš”” is used for symptoms like fever. Try: Make a sentence saying you have a headache and want to buy medicine.



πŸ—£ Practice Dialogue: Visiting a Clinic

A: μ–΄λ””κ°€ μ•„ν”„μ„Έμš”? – Eo-di-ga a-peu-se-yo? – Where does it hurt?
B: λ°°κ°€ μ•„νŒŒμš”. – Bae-ga a-pa-yo. – My stomach hurts.
A: 열도 μžˆμœΌμ„Έμš”? – Yeol-do i-sseu-se-yo? – Do you also have a fever?
B: λ„€, 쑰금 μžˆμ–΄μš”. – Ne, jo-geum it-seo-yo. – Yes, a little.

🧩 Quick Check: Which question word is used to ask “where” in Korean? Can you replace “λ°°” (stomach) with “머리” (head) to describe a headache?



🌏 Did You Know? Korean Health Culture

In Korea, many clinics (병원) are specialized, such as λ‚΄κ³Ό (internal medicine) or 치과 (dentist). Pharmacies (μ•½κ΅­) are also easy to find, often marked with a green cross. Koreans frequently use herbal remedies alongside modern medicine, and visiting the doctor is affordable compared to many countries.



πŸ“¦ Final Thoughts

Being able to describe health issues in Korean helps you stay safe and confident during travel or daily life in Korea. Practice these phrases and vocabulary, and you’ll find it much easier to communicate with doctors and pharmacists.

I hope that while reading various posts on my blog, you’ll learn Korean and grow to love Korea. As a Korean, I sincerely wish for that. Please come back anytime to discover new expressions and cultural insights!



πŸŽ“ Want to practice real-life health conversations in Korean? Book a 1:1 Korean class on italki and prepare for real situations like doctor visits or describing symptoms!


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