Discussing medical conditions like amblyopia requires specific vocabulary. This guide provides the essential Korean term for amblyopia, related eye-care vocabulary, and practical phrases for discussing symptoms and treatments, particularly useful when visiting an eye clinic in Korea.
Table Of Content
Core Term: Amblyopia
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Expression: 약시
Pronunciation: yak-si
Meaning: Amblyopia (often referred to as “lazy eye”)
Related Medical Terms
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Expression: 안과
Pronunciation: an-gwa
Meaning: Ophthalmology department; Eye clinic -
Expression: 안과 의사
Pronunciation: an-gwa ui-sa
Meaning: Ophthalmologist; Eye doctor -
Expression: 시력
Pronunciation: si-ryeok
Meaning: Eyesight; Vision -
Expression: 시력 검사
Pronunciation: si-ryeok geom-sa
Meaning: Eye exam; Vision test -
Expression: 안경
Pronunciation: an-gyeong
Meaning: Glasses; Eyeglasses -
Expression: 콘택트렌즈
Pronunciation: kon-taek-teu-ren-jeu
Meaning: Contact lenses -
Expression: 안대
Pronunciation: an-dae
Meaning: Eye patch -
Expression: 사시
Pronunciation: sa-si
Meaning: Strabismus (crossed eyes) -
Expression: 난시
Pronunciation: nan-si
Meaning: Astigmatism -
Expression: 근시
Pronunciation: geun-si
Meaning: Myopia (nearsightedness) -
Expression: 원시
Pronunciation: won-si
Meaning: Hyperopia (farsightedness) -
Expression: 눈 건강
Pronunciation: nun geon-gang
Meaning: Eye health
Describing Symptoms
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Expression: 눈이 잘 안 보여요.
Pronunciation: nun-i jal an bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: I can’t see well. -
Expression: 시력이 약해요.
Pronunciation: si-ryeog-i yak-hae-yo.
Meaning: My eyesight is weak. -
Expression: 한쪽 눈이 흐릿하게 보여요.
Pronunciation: han-jjok nun-i heu-rit-ha-ge bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: One eye sees blurry. -
Expression: 초점이 잘 안 맞아요.
Pronunciation: cho-jeom-i jal an maj-a-yo.
Meaning: I have trouble focusing. -
Expression: 눈이 쉽게 피로해져요.
Pronunciation: nun-i swip-ge pi-ro-hae-jyeo-yo.
Meaning: My eyes get tired easily. -
Expression: 아이 눈이 이상해 보여요.
Pronunciation: a-i nun-i i-sang-hae bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: My child’s eye looks strange. (Used by parents) -
Expression: 오른쪽/왼쪽 눈 시력이 달라요.
Pronunciation: o-reun-jjok/oen-jjok nun si-ryeog-i dal-la-yo.
Meaning: The vision in my right/left eye is different. -
Expression: 어릴 때부터 눈이 나빴어요.
Pronunciation: eo-ril ttae-bu-teo nun-i na-ppass-eo-yo.
Meaning: My eyes have been bad since I was young. -
Expression: 눈을 자주 찡그려요.
Pronunciation: nun-eul ja-ju jjing-geu-ryeo-yo.
Meaning: I squint often. / He/She squints often. -
Expression: 시력이 점점 나빠지는 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: si-ryeog-i jeom-jeom na-ppa-ji-neun geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: I think my eyesight is getting worse.
At the Eye Clinic
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Expression: 시력 검사를 받고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: si-ryeok geom-sa-reul bat-go sip-eo-yo.
Meaning: I want to get an eye exam. -
Expression: 아이 시력 검사 때문에 왔어요.
Pronunciation: a-i si-ryeok geom-sa ttae-mun-e wass-eo-yo.
Meaning: I came for my child’s eye exam. -
Expression: 약시 진단을 받았어요.
Pronunciation: yak-si jin-dan-eul bad-ass-eo-yo.
Meaning: I was diagnosed with amblyopia. / My child was diagnosed with amblyopia. -
Expression: 약시 치료는 어떻게 하나요?
Pronunciation: yak-si chi-ryo-neun eo-tteo-ke ha-na-yo?
Meaning: How is amblyopia treated? -
Expression: 안경을 써야 하나요?
Pronunciation: an-gyeong-eul sseo-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Do I (or does my child) need to wear glasses? -
Expression: 안대 치료가 필요한가요?
Pronunciation: an-dae chi-ryo-ga pil-yo-han-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is eye patch treatment necessary? -
Expression: 치료하면 시력이 좋아질 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: chi-ryo-ha-myeon si-ryeog-i jo-a-jil su iss-na-yo?
Meaning: Can vision improve with treatment? -
Expression: 정기적으로 검사를 받아야 하나요?
Pronunciation: jeong-gi-jeog-eu-ro geom-sa-reul bad-a-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Do I (or does my child) need regular check-ups? -
Expression: 이 처방전으로 안경을 맞추면 되나요?
Pronunciation: i cheo-bang-jeon-eu-ro an-gyeong-eul mat-chu-myeon doe-na-yo?
Meaning: Can I get glasses made with this prescription? -
Expression: 언제 다시 와야 하나요?
Pronunciation: eon-je da-si wa-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: When should I come back? -
Expression: 약시가 유전인가요?
Pronunciation: yak-si-ga yu-jeon-in-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is amblyopia hereditary?
Korean Culture Notes
Discussing health issues in Korea is generally straightforward, especially in a clinical setting. Doctors are respected figures, and patients usually follow their advice closely.
Regular eye check-ups for children are common in Korea, and conditions like amblyopia are often detected early through school health screenings or parental concern.
Wearing glasses is very common in Korea and carries little to no social stigma, even for young children. Eye patching (안대 치료 – an-dae chi-ryo) for amblyopia treatment is also understood and accepted.
When visiting a clinic (안과 – an-gwa), it’s efficient to clearly state the reason for your visit (e.g., 시력 검사 – si-ryeok geom-sa or mentioning specific symptoms) upon arrival.
While doctors provide explanations, feel free to ask clarifying questions using phrases like “다시 설명해 주시겠어요?” (da-si seol-myeong-hae ju-si-gess-eo-yo? – Could you explain again?) if needed.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A parent (A) is at an eye clinic (안과 – an-gwa) talking to the ophthalmologist (B) after their child’s eye exam.
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Expression: A: 선생님, 저희 아이 눈 검사 결과가 어떻게 나왔나요?
Pronunciation: Seon-saeng-nim, jeo-hui a-i nun geom-sa gyeol-gwa-ga eo-tteo-ke na-wass-na-yo?
Meaning: Doctor, how did my child’s eye exam results come out? -
Expression: B: 네, 검사 결과 오른쪽 눈에 약시가 있는 것으로 보입니다. 시력 차이가 좀 나네요.
Pronunciation: Ne, geom-sa gyeol-gwa o-reun-jjok nun-e yak-si-ga iss-neun geos-eu-ro bo-im-ni-da. Si-ryeok cha-i-ga jom na-ne-yo.
Meaning: Yes, the results show amblyopia in the right eye. There’s a noticeable difference in vision. -
Expression: A: 약시요? 그럼 치료를 해야 하나요?
Pronunciation: Yak-si-yo? Geu-reom chi-ryo-reul hae-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Amblyopia? Does it need treatment then? -
Expression: B: 네, 어릴 때 치료하는 것이 중요합니다. 일단 시력 교정을 위해 안경을 써야 하고, 경우에 따라 안대 치료도 병행할 수 있습니다.
Pronunciation: Ne, eo-ril ttae chi-ryo-ha-neun geos-i jung-yo-ham-ni-da. Il-dan si-ryeok gyo-jeong-eul wi-hae an-gyeong-eul sseo-ya ha-go, gyeong-u-e tta-ra an-dae chi-ryo-do byeong-haeng-hal su iss-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: Yes, treating it when young is important. First, glasses are needed for vision correction, and depending on the case, eye patching treatment may also be done concurrently. -
Expression: A: 안경은 계속 써야 하는 건가요?
Pronunciation: An-gyeong-eun gye-sok sseo-ya ha-neun geon-ga-yo?
Meaning: Do the glasses need to be worn continuously? -
Expression: B: 네, 좋은 눈 쪽 시력을 가려서 약한 눈을 사용하도록 유도하는 것이 치료의 핵심입니다. 정기적으로 와서 시력 변화를 확인해야 합니다.
Pronunciation: Ne, jo-eun nun jjok si-ryeog-eul ga-ryeo-seo yak-han nun-eul sa-yong-ha-do-rok yu-do-ha-neun geos-i chi-ryo-ui haek-sim-im-ni-da. Jeong-gi-jeog-eu-ro wa-seo si-ryeok byeon-hwa-reul hwag-in-hae-ya ham-ni-da.
Meaning: Yes, covering the good eye to encourage the use of the weaker eye is key to the treatment. You need to come regularly to check for vision changes. -
Expression: A: 알겠습니다. 처방전 주시면 안경 맞추겠습니다.
Pronunciation: Al-gess-seum-ni-da. Cheo-bang-jeon ju-si-myeon an-gyeong mat-chu-gess-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I understand. If you give me the prescription, I’ll get the glasses made.
Practice Tips
Familiarize yourself with the core term 약시 (yak-si) and related vocabulary like 안과 (an-gwa), 시력 검사 (si-ryeok geom-sa), and 안경 (an-gyeong)~!
Try role-playing the conversation example with a friend or language partner. Practice asking questions about treatment (치료 – chi-ryo) and describing symptoms (증상 – jeung-sang).
Reviewing these phrases before an actual visit to an eye clinic in Korea can significantly ease communication and help you understand the doctor’s explanations better. Good luck with your practice!
