Korean phrases for the hospital

"아파요" (it hurts) and "어디가 아파요?" (where does it hurt?) are enough to begin.

At reception

• "진료 받으러 왔어요." — I've come to see a doctor.
• "처음 왔어요." / "전에 온 적 있어요." — First visit / I've been here before.
• "외국인등록증이에요." — This is my residence card.
• "건강보험 있어요/없어요." — I have / don't have health insurance.
• "통역이 필요해요." — I need an interpreter.
• "영어 되는 분 계세요?" — Is there someone who speaks English?

In the consulting room

• "○○이 아파요." — my ○○ hurts. See body-parts-symptoms.
• "○○일 전부터 아팠어요." — it's hurt since ○○ days ago.
• "열이 나요 / 기침이 나요 / 토했어요." — I have a fever / a cough / I vomited.
• "약 먹고 있어요." — I'm taking medication.
• "알레르기 있어요." — I have an allergy. Vital. See food-allergy.
• "임신했어요." — I'm pregnant. Always say so.
• "다시 말해 주세요 / 천천히 말해 주세요." — please repeat / please speak slowly.

For tests and procedures

• "이거 아파요?" — will this hurt?
• "얼마나 걸려요?" — how long will it take?
• "돈은 얼마예요?" — how much does it cost?
• "보험 돼요?" — is it covered by insurance?
• "안 하고 싶어요." — I'd rather not. You have that right. See patient-rights.

Finishing up

• "처방전 주세요." — please give me the prescription.
• "약국 어디예요?" — where is the pharmacy?
• "언제 다시 와요?" — when should I come back?
• "진단서 필요해요." — I need a medical certificate. See medical-certificate.
• "영수증 주세요." — please give me the receipt.

Where to go

• 1345 Immigration Contact Centre (medical interpretation)
• 1339 Korea Disease Control Agency
• 1330 tourist information (24-hour interpretation)
• A hospital's international healthcare centre — see hospital-interpretation.
• Local foreign residents' support centres (accompanied interpretation)

Questions people ask

I'm frightened because I can't communicate. Write it down on paper beforehand. Symptoms, medication and allergies written in Korean are enough on their own. Use a translation app alongside.

Can I ask for an interpreter? You have the right to ask. Large hospitals have international centres, and 1345 can help too.

I didn't understand the medication instructions. Ask again at the pharmacy. "When do I take it?", "How many?", "After meals?" is enough. See medicine-safety.

What do I say when bringing a child? "아이가 ○○이 아파요" — my child's ○○ hurts. Write down their age and weight beforehand.

Take care

Always mention allergies and current medication. More incidents come from not saying these two things than anything else. If Korean is hard, just show the medicine packet or a photo of it — clearer than words.

Related

body-parts-symptoms · hospital-interpretation · hospital-visit · medicine-safety · medical-glossary

Source

Ministry of Health and Welfare www.mohw.go.kr / As of 2026-08