It Hurts in Korean: 아파요 (Apayo) + Medical Phrases

"It hurts" in Korean is 아파요 (apayo). Pronounce it "a-pa-yo." To be specific: 머리가 아파요 (headache), 배가 아파요 (stomachache).

The Day I Actually Needed to Speak Korean

It's easy to learn Korean when you're ordering coffee or chatting with friends. But there's a moment when language proficiency becomes truly critical: when you're in pain and you're in a Korean hospital.

A few years ago, I ended up in the emergency room of a Seoul hospital with terrible abdominal pain at 2 AM. The doctor barely spoke English. My medical Korean was… limited. I spent 10 minutes trying to explain my pain with gestures and the 3 medical vocabulary words I knew. Since that night, I've made sure to learn survival medical vocabulary. Here's everything I wish I'd known that night.

아파요 (apayo) — It Hurts

• Hangeul: 아파요
• Romanization: apayo
• Translation: It hurts / I'm in pain

This is THE word you absolutely need to know. 아프다 (apeuda) is the verb "to hurt / to be painful."

Politeness Levels

The Magic Structure: [Body Part] + 가/이 + 아파요

To say where it hurts in Korean, the structure is simple:

[Body part] + 가/이 아파요

The particle 가 is used after a vowel, 이 after a consonant.

The Most Common Pains

머리가 아파요 (meoriga apayo) — I Have a Headache

• Hangeul: 머리가 아파요
• Romanization: meoriga apayo
• Translation: My head hurts / I have a headache

머리 means "head." This is probably the pain you'll express most often, especially after 소주 nights (see the article on "cheers").

Related expression: 두통이 있어요 (dutong-i isseoyo) — I have headaches (more medical).

배가 아파요 (baega apayo) — I Have a Stomachache

• Hangeul: 배가 아파요
• Romanization: baega apayo
• Translation: My stomach hurts

배 means "stomach." This is the expression I should have known for my nighttime emergency.

Related expressions:

• 소화가 안 돼요 (sohwaga an dwaeyo) — I can't digest
• 설사를 해요 (seolsareul haeyo) — I have diarrhea
• 구역질이 나요 (guyeokjiri nayo) — I feel nauseous

목이 아파요 (mogi apayo) — I Have a Sore Throat

• Hangeul: 목이 아파요
• Romanization: mogi apayo
• Translation: My throat hurts

Very useful in winter in Seoul, when the dry, cold air attacks sensitive throats.

이가 아파요 (iga apayo) — I Have a Toothache

• Hangeul: 이가 아파요
• Romanization: iga apayo
• Translation: My tooth hurts

이 means "tooth." Dental care in Korea is excellent and much cheaper than in many Western countries, especially if you have the national insurance (건강보험, geongang-boheom).

허리가 아파요 (heoriga apayo) — My Back Hurts

• Hangeul: 허리가 아파요
• Romanization: heoriga apayo
• Translation: My lower back hurts

허리 means "waist / lower back." If you spend a lot of time sitting (like the majority of Koreans in offices), this is very common pain.

다리가 아파요 (dariga apayo) — My Leg Hurts

• Hangeul: 다리가 아파요
• Romanization: dariga apayo
• Translation: My leg hurts

Body Parts Reference

Symptoms and Medical Expressions

Fever

• 열이 있어요 (yeori isseoyo) — I have a fever
• 열이 나요 (yeori nayo) — I have a fever (variant)
• 몇 도예요? (myeot doyeyo?) — What's the temperature? (the doctor will ask you)

Tip: In Korea, temperature is measured in Celsius. 37°C is normal, above 38°C, Koreans get concerned.

Cold and Flu

• 감기에 걸렸어요 (gamgie geollyeosseoyo) — I caught a cold
• 독감이에요 (dokgamieyo) — It's the flu
• 기침이 나요 (gichimi nayo) — I'm coughing
• 콧물이 나요 (konmuri nayo) — I have a runny nose

Allergies

• 알레르기가 있어요 (allereugi-ga isseoyo) — I have an allergy
• 꽃가루 알레르기 (kkotgaru allereugi) — Pollen allergy

Spring in Seoul is beautiful with cherry blossoms, but if you're allergic to pollen, brace yourself. Half my Korean colleagues wear masks from March onward.

Pain in Detail

Essential Medical Locations

병원 (byeongwon) — Hospital

• Hangeul: 병원
• Romanization: byeongwon
• Translation: Hospital / Clinic

In Korea, 병원 can refer to both a large hospital and a small neighborhood clinic. Large facilities are called 대학병원 (daehak-byeongwon — university hospital) or 종합병원 (jonghap-byeongwon — general hospital).

My advice: For non-urgent issues, go to a neighborhood clinic (의원, uiwon). It's faster, cheaper, and the doctor is often very competent. Big hospitals have terrifying wait times.

약국 (yakguk) — Pharmacy

• Hangeul: 약국
• Romanization: yakguk
• Translation: Pharmacy

Korean pharmacies are everywhere and pharmacists are very approachable. You can describe your symptoms and they'll give you appropriate medication without a prescription for simple cases.

Useful phrase: 감기약 주세요 (gamgiyak juseyo) — Give me cold medicine, please.

응급실 (eunggeupsil) — Emergency Room

• Hangeul: 응급실
• Romanization: eunggeupsil
• Translation: Emergency room

Emergency number: 119 (ambulance and fire department in Korea)

The 119 service has an interpretation service that can help you in English (and sometimes French). Don't hesitate to ask for an interpreter.

Hospital Survival Phrases

Health Insurance in Korea

For Residents (Long-term Visa)

If you live in Korea on a work or student visa, you're automatically enrolled in 국민건강보험 (gungmin-geongang-boheom) — the national health insurance. It covers approximately 60-70% of medical expenses.

For Tourists

Tourists don't have access to national insurance. Get travel insurance BEFORE coming. Healthcare in Korea isn't excessively expensive (a general practitioner visit costs about 15,000-30,000 won, or $10-20), but hospitalization can add up quickly.

Common Medications

My Advice After 12 Years in Seoul

Make yourself a little cheat sheet with essential medical expressions and keep it on your phone. When you're in pain at 2 AM and your brain refuses to function in a foreign language, that sheet can save you.

And most importantly: don't be afraid of Korean hospitals. The Korean healthcare system is one of the best in the world. Equipment is modern, doctors are highly trained, and care is fast. The only barrier is often language — and now you have the tools to overcome it.

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