Korean: Describe Symptoms and Severity at the Clinic
Learn Korean phrases to describe where it hurts, how bad it is, and how long it has lasted, so you can explain symptoms clearly at a clinic or pharmacy.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At an intermediate level, saying "I have an allergy" is not enough when you need care. You need to say which part hurts, how severe it is, when it started, and what makes it worse. Korean uses a few reliable patterns for this. The most useful is the noun plus -i/ga apa-yo (이/가 아파요), meaning "my [body part] hurts." You can also rate severity with jeongmal (정말, really), a little (jogeum, 조금), or a lot (mani, 많이). For timing, use the plain past tense of the verb plus -eoss/eot (았/었). This lesson gives you full sentences, not isolated words, so you can answer a doctor's questions without switching to English.
By the end, you can…
- name a body part and say that it hurts using -i/ga apa-yo.
- describe how severe a symptom is with degree words like jogeum, mani, and jeongmal.
- say when a symptom started using past tense forms.
- answer follow-up questions about triggers and duration at a clinic.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
배가 아파요.
My stomach hurts.
bae-ga a-pa-yo
The basic pain pattern: body part plus -i/ga apa-yo. Use baega for stomach, meoriga for head, mok-i for throat.
머리가 많이 아파요.
I have a bad headache. / My head hurts a lot.
meo-ri-ga ma-ni a-pa-yo
Mani (많이) means 'a lot' and raises the severity. Put it right before the verb.
어제부터 아팠어요.
It has hurt since yesterday.
eo-je-bu-teo a-pat-sseo-yo
-buteo (부터) means 'since/from.' Use the past tense apat-sseo-yo for a symptom that started earlier and continues.
열이 나고 기침이 나요.
I have a fever and a cough.
yeol-i na-go gi-chim-i na-yo
For fever and cough, Korean uses nayo (나요), not apayo. -go (고) links two symptoms.
이 약을 먹으면 좀 나아져요.
If I take this medicine, it gets a little better.
i ya-geul meo-geu-myeon jom na-a-jyeo-yo
-myeon (으면) means 'if/when.' Use this to describe what helps or what makes symptoms better.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is body part + i/ga + apa-yo. The particle i (이) follows a consonant and ga (가) follows a vowel: mok-i apa-yo (목이 아파요, my throat hurts), bae-ga apa-yo (배가 아파요, my stomach hurts). To add severity, place a degree word before the verb: jogeum (조금, a little), mani (많이, a lot), or jeongmal (정말, really). For example, meori-ga jogeum apa-yo (머리가 조금 아파요) means 'I have a slight headache,' while meori-ga jeongmal mani apa-yo (머리가 정말 많이 아파요) means 'my head really hurts a lot.' For duration, add a time word plus -buteo: eoje-buteo (어제부터, since yesterday), il-ju-il jeon-buteo (일주일 전부터, since a week ago).
When to use it
Use these sentences when a doctor or pharmacist asks 'eodi-ga apa-yo?' (어디가 아파요?, where does it hurt?). Answer with the specific part, not just 'apa-yo.' If they ask 'eonje-buteo?' (언제부터?, since when?), reply with a time plus -buteo and the past tense: geujeo-buteo apat-sseo-yo (그저께부터 아팠어요, it has hurt since the day before yesterday). For severity, a doctor may ask 'eolmana simhaeyo?' (얼마나 심해요?, how severe is it?). You can answer with a number plus jeom (점, point) on a 1-10 scale, or use jogeum, mani, or aeganjanghi (애간장히, terribly). Keep the register polite with -yo, since clinics use polite speech.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
어디가 아파요?
Where does it hurt?eo-di-ga a-pa-yo?목이 많이 아프고 열도 나요.
My throat hurts a lot, and I also have a fever.mok-i ma-ni a-peu-go yeol-do na-yo언제부터 아팠어요?
Since when has it hurt?eon-je-bu-teo a-pat-sseo-yo?이틀 전부터 아팠어요.
It has hurt since two days ago.i-teul jeon-bu-teo a-pat-sseo-yoA little context goes a long way
Korean clinics often ask about duration and severity before examining you, so short, direct answers are expected. Using polite -yo endings is standard with medical staff. Avoid saying simply 'apa-yo' without a body part; it sounds vague and may prompt another question. If you are unsure of a word, point to the area and say yeogi-ga apa-yo (여기가 아파요, it hurts here).
One thing to watch for
Saying '나 아파요' (na apayo) to mean 'I am sick.'
Try this instead: This is vague and can sound like a general complaint. Name the part: bae-ga apa-yo (배가 아파요, my stomach hurts) or meori-ga apa-yo (머리가 아파요, my head hurts). For general illness, say mom-i an joha-yo (몸이 안 좋아요, I don't feel well).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'My head hurts a little' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
머리가 조금 아파요. (meo-ri-ga jo-geum a-pa-yo)
This uses the body part meori, the particle -ga after the vowel, and jogeum for mild severity. You could also say meori-ga jom apa-yo with jom, which is common in speech.
2A doctor asks 언제부터 아팠어요? You have had pain since last week. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
지난주부터 아팠어요. (ji-nan-ju-bu-teo a-pat-sseo-yo)
Jinanju means 'last week,' -buteo means 'since,' and apat-sseo-yo is the polite past tense. Il-ju-il jeon-buteo (일주일 전부터) is also acceptable if you mean 'since a week ago.'
3How do you say 'I have a fever and a cough'?
Show a sample answer
열이 나고 기침이 나요. (yeol-i na-go gi-chim-i na-yo)
Fever and cough use nayo, not apayo. The linker -go joins the two symptoms. You can also say 열이 나고 기침도 나요 to add 'also.'
Name the body part with -i/ga apa-yo, add jogeum or mani for severity, and use -buteo plus past tense for duration. These three moves let you describe most symptoms clearly in Korean.
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