Here are 50 Korean words for the body and health, in Hangul with Revised Romanization. To say something hurts, put the body part before 아파요 (apayo): 머리가 아파요, "my head hurts". Learn these five first: 머리 (meori, head), 몸 (mom, body), 약국 (yakguk, pharmacy), 병원 (byeongwon, hospital) and 아프다 (apeuda, to hurt, to be ill).
- Words
- 50, with Revised Romanization
- Key pattern
- body part + 이/가 아파요
- Emergency in South Korea
- 119 ambulance, 112 police
- Level
- A1–A2
50 Korean body and health words
Each word has a Revised Romanization reading that follows pronunciation: 알약 (pill) is allyak. Describing words such as 건강하다 (healthy) and 피곤하다 (tired) are verbs in the dictionary form; the section below shows how to use them. This is the health pack the Contos web app uses for flashcard review.
| Korean | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 몸 | mom | body |
| 머리 | meori | head |
| 얼굴 | eolgul | face |
| 코 | ko | nose |
| 입 | ip | mouth |
| 치아 | chia | tooth |
| 귀 | gwi | ear |
| 목 | mok | neck |
| 등 | deung | back |
| 팔 | pal | arm |
| 다리 | dari | leg |
| 발 | bal | foot |
| 배 | bae | stomach |
| 피부 | pibu | skin |
| 피 | pi | blood |
| 통증 | tongjeung | pain |
| 두통 | dutong | headache |
| 열 | yeol | fever |
| 감기 | gamgi | common cold |
| 기침 | gichim | cough |
| 독감 | dokgam | flu |
| 알레르기 | allereugi | allergy |
| 약 | yak | medicine |
| 알약 | allyak | pill |
| 약국 | yakguk | pharmacy |
| 병원 | byeongwon | hospital |
| 의사 | uisa | doctor |
| 간호사 | ganhosa | nurse |
| 예약 | yeyak | appointment |
| 처방전 | cheobangjeon | prescription |
| 응급 상황 | eunggeup sanghwang | emergency |
| 부상 | busang | injury |
| 몸이 아프다 | momi apeuda | ill |
| 건강하다 | geonganghada | healthy |
| 피곤하다 | pigonhada | tired |
| 아프다 | apeuda | to hurt |
| 쉬다 | swida | to rest |
| 숨 쉬다 | sum swida | to breathe |
| 잠 | jam | sleep |
| 운동 | undong | exercise |
| 눈 | nun | eye |
| 심장 | simjang | heart |
| 치통 | chitong | toothache |
| 건강 | geongang | health |
| 치과 의사 | chigwa uisa | dentist |
| 손가락 | songarak | finger |
| 무릎 | mureup | knee |
| 재채기하다 | jaechaegihada | to sneeze |
| 가슴 | gaseum | chest |
| 반창고 | banchanggo | sticking plaster |
How do you say something hurts in Korean?
Korean uses one verb, 아프다 (apeuda), for "it hurts" and for "I'm ill". The body part takes the subject particle 이/가, and the polite form is 아파요. There is no need for "my": the context makes it clear whose head it is.
머리가 아파요.
Meoriga apayo.
I have a headache. (My head hurts.)
배가 아파요.
Baega apayo.
I have a stomach ache.
배 (bae), belly, is the list's word for stomach. The stomach as an organ is 위 (wi), the word on a doctor's chart.
목이 아파요.
Mogi apayo.
I have a sore throat.
목 (mok) is the neck and also the throat.
감기에 걸렸어요.
Gamgie geollyeosseoyo.
I've caught a cold.
Literally "I got caught in a cold": 감기에 걸리다.
열이 나요.
Yeori nayo.
I have a temperature.
기침을 해요.
Gichimeul haeyo.
I've got a cough.
몸이 아프다 (momi apeuda), the list's word for ill, is literally "the body hurts": 몸이 아파요, I'm not well. 건강하다 (geonganghada, healthy) and 피곤하다 (pigonhada, tired) are descriptive verbs, so they need no "am": 건강해요, 피곤해요. Before a noun they change form: 아픈 사람, a sick person; 피곤한 얼굴, a tired face.
아빠 김준호는 피곤하다.Appa Gim Junhoneun pigonhada.
Native and Sino-Korean body words
The everyday body parts are native Korean: 머리 (head), 눈 (eye), 코 (nose), 입 (mouth), 귀 (ear), 손 (hand), 발 (foot). The medical words are mostly Sino-Korean, and they reuse a few syllables. 통 means pain: 두통 is head pain, a headache, and 치통 is tooth pain. 치 means tooth: 치아 (teeth, the formal word), 치통, 치과 의사 (dentist).
Watch for words with two meanings. 눈 is eye and also snow, 다리 is leg and also bridge, and 배 is belly, boat and pear. 심장 is the heart as an organ; the heart as the seat of feelings is usually 마음 (maeum).
민지의 심장이 빨리 뛴다.Minjiui simjangi ppalli ttwinda.
What do you say at a Korean pharmacy or doctor's?
For a cold or a headache, people in Korea often go straight to a 약국 (yakguk, pharmacy) or a local clinic. 병원 (byeongwon) covers a small doctor's surgery as well as a big hospital. A 처방전 (cheobangjeon) is the prescription you take from the doctor to the pharmacy.
약국이 어디에 있어요?
Yakgugi eodie isseoyo?
Where is there a pharmacy?
감기약 주세요.
Gamgiyak juseyo.
Some cold medicine, please.
병원에 가야 해요.
Byeongwone gaya haeyo.
I need to see a doctor.
푹 쉬세요.
Puk swiseyo.
Get plenty of rest.
What friends and doctors say to someone who is ill. 쉬다 is to rest.
섬의 유일한 약국이지만 손님이 많지는 않았다.Seomui yuilhan yakgugijiman sonnimi manchineun anatda.
Many of these words describe how you feel as much as what hurts; for moods and feelings, see Korean words for emotions.
Read a Korean story at A1: tap any word, from 얼굴 to 피곤하다, to see its meaning and save it as a flashcard.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you say "I'm sick" in Korean?
아파요 (apayo), from 아프다. The same word means "it hurts", so add the body part when you need to: 머리가 아파요, my head hurts. If you're just worn out, say 피곤해요 (pigonhaeyo), I'm tired.
What is the Korean word for stomach?
In everyday speech, 배 (bae), the word in the list: 배가 아파요, my stomach hurts. 위 (wi) is the stomach as an organ, used by doctors and on medicine labels.
How do you say "I have a cold" in Korean?
감기에 걸렸어요 (gamgie geollyeosseoyo), literally "I got caught in a cold". Flu is 독감 (dokgam), and the same verb works: 독감에 걸렸어요.
How do you say "get well soon" in Korean?
빨리 나으세요 (ppalli naeuseyo), from 낫다, to get better. To a friend, the casual 빨리 나아 (ppalli naa) is enough. 푹 쉬세요, get plenty of rest, is often said alongside.