Korean vocabulary · 19 words
Korean body parts and health words
To say something hurts, name the body part with 이/가 and add 아파요: 머리가 아파요 (my head hurts), 목이 아파요 (my throat hurts). 아프다 drops its ㅡ before the ending, which is why it is 아파요 and not 아프어요. The last group has the words for a clinic visit.
Examples are written in Hangul. New to it? Start with the hangul chart.
Good to know
- 아파요 on its own means I'm sick or I'm in pain.
- Medicine is eaten in Korean: 약을 먹어요 (I take medicine). A cold is caught: 감기에 걸렸어요.
- 눈 is both eye and snow, and 배 is stomach, pear and boat. Context decides.
- (으)니까 gives a reason you can act on: 아프니까 약을 먹어요 (since you're sick, take medicine).
Face and head
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 머리 | meori | head / hair | |
| 눈 | nun | eye | |
| 코 | ko | nose | |
| 입 | ip | mouth | |
| 귀 | gwi | ear | |
| 목 | mok | neck / throat |
Body
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 손 | son | hand | |
| 발 | bal | foot | |
| 배 | bae | stomach / belly | |
| 다리 | dari | leg / bridge | |
| 키 | ki | height / key |
Being sick
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아파요 | apayo | hurts / is sick (ㅡ-irregular) | |
| 병원 | byeongwon | hospital / clinic | |
| 약 | yak | medicine | |
| 감기 | gamgi | a cold (illness) | |
| 열 | yeol | fever / heat | |
| 건강 | geongang | health | |
| 건강하다 | geonganghada | be healthy | |
| 조심하다 | josimhada | be careful |
Test yourself
Five of the 19 words on this page, meaning to word. Pick an answer to check it; nothing is saved.
1.Which Korean word means "head / hair"?
2.Which Korean word means "mouth"?
3.Which Korean word means "foot"?
4.Which Korean word means "hurts / is sick (ㅡ-irregular)"?
5.Which Korean word means "fever / heat"?
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Keep going
- Grammar guideKorean irregular verbsThe sound changes behind Korean verb forms that look irregular: vowel merging (오다 → 와요), the ㅡ drop (크다 → 커요, 아프다 → 아파요) and the ㅂ irregular (덥다 → 더워요).
- Grammar guide은/는 vs 이/가When to use 은/는 and when to use 이/가 in Korean, how to pick the right form after a consonant or vowel, with course examples and practice questions.
- Grammar guideHave to and should in KoreanHow to say must, have to and should in Korean: stem + 아/어야 돼요 (가야 돼요, I have to go) and stem + 는 게 좋아요 (운동하는 게 좋아요, you should exercise).
- ChartHangul chartEvery Korean consonant and vowel with romanization, stroke order and example words, how syllable blocks work, and a syllable chart with audio.