Hello! This is Daily Hangeul, here to upgrade your Korean skills! 😊
Have you ever been sick in a foreign country? It can be a little scary, especially if you don’t know how to explain what’s wrong. Today, we’re going to learn some essential Korean phrases for talking about when you started feeling sick. This is super useful for visiting a doctor or even just telling a friend why you have to cancel plans.
These days in Korea, the weather is changing from season to season (this period is called 환절기 – hwanjeolgi), and it’s very common for people to catch colds. So, this is the perfect time to learn these expressions! Let’s get started!
Core Expressions 🩺
Here are three key expressions to help you talk about your symptoms like a pro.
1. When did you start feeling sick?
- Korean: 언제부터 아팠어요?
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Eonjebuteo apasseoyo?
- English Meaning: Since when have you been sick/in pain?
- Detailed Explanation: This is the most common and polite question a doctor, pharmacist, or concerned friend will ask you. It literally means “From when (언제부터) were you sick (아팠어요)?”. You can use it for any kind of pain or sickness.
2. I’ve been sick since…
- Korean: 어제부터 목이 아팠어요.
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Eojebuteo mogi apasseoyo.
- English Meaning: My throat has been hurting since yesterday.
- Detailed Explanation: This is the perfect answer! The pattern is [Time] + 부터 + [Body Part] + 이/가 아팠어요. You can easily swap out the words.
- Time: 어제 (yesterday), 오늘 아침 (this morning), 이틀 전 (two days ago)
- Body Part: 목 (throat), 머리 (head), 배 (stomach)
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
Notice how 목이 is pronounced [mogi], not [mok-i]. In Korean, when a syllable ending in a consonant (like 목, mok) is followed by a syllable starting with a vowel (like 이, i), the consonant sound “links” or moves over to the next syllable. This is called 연음 (yeon-eum), or linking. It makes the pronunciation much smoother! Try it: [모기] (mogi).
3. What are your symptoms?
- Korean: 증상이 어때요?
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Jeungsangi eottaeyo?
- English Meaning: What are your symptoms?
- Detailed Explanation: 증상 (jeungsang) means “symptoms,” and 어때요? (eottaeyo?) means “How is it?”. This is a very common question you’ll hear at a clinic or pharmacy. Knowing the word 증상 will really impress them!
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
The last sound in 증상, which is ㅇ (ng), is very important. Unlike the ‘ng’ in the English word “finger” (where you hear a ‘g’ sound), the Korean ‘ㅇ’ is a pure nasal sound made at the back of your throat, like the end of the word “singing”. Make sure not to add a ‘g’ sound at the end!
Example Dialogue 💬
Here’s how these expressions might sound in a real conversation. Let’s imagine friends A and B were supposed to go to a concert for the popular K-pop group “ASTRO”.
A: 너 괜찮아? 안색이 안 좋아 보여.
(Neo gwaenchana? Ansaegi an joa boyeo.)
Are you okay? You don’t look well.
B: 나 감기 걸린 것 같아.
(Na gamgi geollin geot gata.)
I think I caught a cold.
A: 어떡해! 언제부터 아팠어요?
(Eotteokae! Eonjebuteo apasseoyo?)
Oh no! When did you start feeling sick?
B: 어제부터 목이 아팠어요. 그래서 아스트로 콘서트도 못 갔어.
(Eojebuteo mogi apasseoyo. Geuraeseo Aseuteuro konseoteudo mot gasseo.)
My throat has been hurting since yesterday. That’s why I couldn’t go to the ASTRO concert either.
A: 정말? 푹 쉬어야겠다. 병원은 가봤어?
(Jeongmal? Puk swieoyagetda. Byeong-woneun gabwasseo?)
Really? You should get plenty of rest. Have you been to the hospital?
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive ☕
In Korea, people are very mindful of health during the 환절기 (hwanjeolgi), the period when seasons change, especially from summer to fall or winter to spring. It’s a time when everyone talks about “catching a cold” (감기 조심하세요! – Gamgi josimhaseyo! – Be careful not to catch a cold!).
If you tell a Korean friend, “어제부터 목이 아파요” (My throat has been hurting since yesterday), don’t be surprised if they immediately recommend drinking 생강차 (saenggangcha – ginger tea) or 유자차 (yujacha – citron tea). These warm, traditional teas are go-to home remedies for colds and sore throats. Mentioning you tried one of these will definitely make you sound more like a local!
Let’s Practice & Wrap Up!
Great job today! We learned how to ask and answer when sickness started using the super important grammar pattern ~부터 (from/since).
Now, it’s your turn to practice!
1. Fill in the blank: You woke up this morning with a headache. What would you say?
오늘 아침부터 _______가 아팠어요. (Hint: “head” is 머리)
2. Make a sentence: How would you say, “My stomach has been hurting for two days”?
(Hint: “two days ago” is 이틀 전, and “stomach” is 배)
Leave your answers in the comments below using the expressions we learned today! We’d love to see what you come up with. Stay healthy, and see you in the next lesson! 👋
