'Where Does It Hurt?' — Describing Pain Location in Korean
How to tell a Korean doctor exactly where it hurts. Body part names and pain descriptions with pronunciation.
여기가 아파요.
yeo-gi-ga a-pa-yo
It hurts here.
머리가 아파요.
meo-ri-ga a-pa-yo
I have a headache.
배가 아파요.
bae-ga a-pa-yo
My stomach hurts.
허리가 아파요.
heo-ri-ga a-pa-yo
My back hurts.
목이 아파요.
mog-i a-pa-yo
My throat hurts.
가슴이 아파요.
ga-seum-i a-pa-yo
My chest hurts.
이가 아파요.
i-ga a-pa-yo
My tooth hurts.
온몸이 아파요.
on-mom-i a-pa-yo
My whole body aches.
왼쪽이 아파요.
oen-jjog-i a-pa-yo
The left side hurts.
오른쪽이 아파요.
o-reun-jjog-i a-pa-yo
The right side hurts.
The most important phrase
When a Korean doctor asks "어디가 아파요?" (eo-di-ga a-pa-yo), they're asking "Where does it hurt?" This is one of the first questions in any consultation.
The simple formula
The basic pattern is: [body part] + 가/이 아파요. Just replace the body part. The particle 가 is used after vowels, 이 after consonants.
Pointing is perfectly fine
Pointing to the area and saying "여기가 아파요" is completely acceptable and very common even among Korean patients.
Describing left and right
Add 왼쪽 (oen-jjok, left) or 오른쪽 (o-reun-jjok, right) before the body part. Example: "왼쪽 배가 아파요" means "my left abdomen hurts."
Tip
If you can't remember the body part name, pointing and saying 여기가 아파요 (it hurts here) works perfectly.
Useful links
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