Understanding how to talk about health issues like inflammation is crucial when living in or visiting Korea. This guide covers the essential Korean term for inflammation, related vocabulary for different types, symptoms, and useful phrases for communicating with doctors or pharmacists about inflammatory conditions.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
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Expression: 염증
Pronunciation: yeom-jjeung
Meaning: Inflammation
Types of Inflammation
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Expression: 목 염증
Pronunciation: mok yeom-jjeung
Meaning: Throat inflammation (sore throat) -
Expression: 귀 염증
Pronunciation: gwi yeom-jjeung
Meaning: Ear inflammation (otitis) -
Expression: 피부 염증
Pronunciation: pi-bu yeom-jjeung
Meaning: Skin inflammation (dermatitis) -
Expression: 관절 염증
Pronunciation: gwan-jeol yeom-jjeung
Meaning: Joint inflammation (arthritis) -
Expression: 잇몸 염증
Pronunciation: in-mom yeom-jjeung
Meaning: Gum inflammation (gingivitis) -
Expression: 위 염증
Pronunciation: wi yeom-jjeung
Meaning: Stomach inflammation (gastritis) -
Expression: 장 염증
Pronunciation: jang yeom-jjeung
Meaning: Intestinal inflammation (enteritis) -
Expression: 비염
Pronunciation: bi-yeom
Meaning: Nasal inflammation (rhinitis) -
Expression: 결막염
Pronunciation: gyeol-mang-nyeom
Meaning: Conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) -
Expression: 편도선염
Pronunciation: pyeon-do-seon-nyeom
Meaning: Tonsillitis (tonsil inflammation) -
Expression: 방광염
Pronunciation: bang-gwang-nyeom
Meaning: Bladder inflammation (cystitis)
Symptoms and Related Phrases
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Expression: 염증이 생겼어요.
Pronunciation: yeom-jjeung-i saeng-gyeot-seo-yo.
Meaning: I have inflammation. / Inflammation has occurred. -
Expression: 목이 부었어요.
Pronunciation: mok-i bu-eot-seo-yo.
Meaning: My throat is swollen. -
Expression: 통증이 있어요.
Pronunciation: tong-jjeung-i it-seo-yo.
Meaning: There is pain. / It hurts. -
Expression: 빨갛게 됐어요.
Pronunciation: ppal-ga-ke dwaet-seo-yo.
Meaning: It has become red. -
Expression: 열이 나요.
Pronunciation: yeol-i na-yo.
Meaning: I have a fever. -
Expression: 가려워요.
Pronunciation: ga-ryeo-wo-yo.
Meaning: It’s itchy. -
Expression: 고름이 나와요.
Pronunciation: go-reum-i na-wa-yo.
Meaning: Pus is coming out. -
Expression: 붓기가 심해요.
Pronunciation: but-gi-ga sim-hae-yo.
Meaning: The swelling is severe. -
Expression: 따끔거려요.
Pronunciation: tta-kkeum-geo-ryeo-yo.
Meaning: It stings. / It’s prickly. -
Expression: 염증 때문에 아파요.
Pronunciation: yeom-jjeung ttae-mun-e a-pa-yo.
Meaning: It hurts because of the inflammation. -
Expression: 증상이 심해졌어요.
Pronunciation: jeung-sang-i sim-hae-jyeot-seo-yo.
Meaning: The symptoms have gotten worse.
Phrases for the Doctor/Pharmacy
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Expression: 염증 약 좀 주세요.
Pronunciation: yeom-jjeung yak jom ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please give me some medicine for inflammation. -
Expression: 목에 염증이 생긴 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: mok-e yeom-jjeung-i saeng-gin geot ga-ta-yo.
Meaning: I think I have inflammation in my throat. -
Expression: 소염제가 필요해요.
Pronunciation: so-yeom-je-ga pil-yo-hae-yo.
Meaning: I need anti-inflammatory medicine. -
Expression: 의사 선생님, 여기가 아파요.
Pronunciation: ui-sa seon-saeng-nim, yeo-gi-ga a-pa-yo.
Meaning: Doctor, it hurts here. -
Expression: 언제부터 아팠어요?
Pronunciation: eon-je-bu-teo a-pat-seo-yo?
Meaning: Since when has it hurt? -
Expression: 어제부터 염증 증상이 있어요.
Pronunciation: eo-je-bu-teo yeom-jjeung jeung-sang-i it-seo-yo.
Meaning: I’ve had inflammation symptoms since yesterday. -
Expression: 이 약은 어떻게 먹어야 해요?
Pronunciation: i yak-eun eo-tteo-ke meo-geo-ya hae-yo?
Meaning: How should I take this medicine? -
Expression: 처방전 없이 살 수 있는 약 있나요?
Pronunciation: cheo-bang-jeon eop-si sal su it-neun yak it-na-yo?
Meaning: Is there any medicine I can buy without a prescription? -
Expression: 염증 가라앉히는 연고 있어요?
Pronunciation: yeom-jjeung ga-ra-an-chi-neun yeon-go it-seo-yo?
Meaning: Do you have any ointment to soothe inflammation? -
Expression: 항생제가 필요한가요?
Pronunciation: hang-saeng-je-ga pil-yo-han-ga-yo?
Meaning: Are antibiotics necessary? -
Expression: 진통제도 같이 주세요.
Pronunciation: jin-tong-je-do ga-chi ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please give me painkillers as well.
Korean Culture Notes
When discussing health issues in Korea, it’s helpful to be aware of certain cultural aspects. Koreans generally trust doctors and pharmacists and often seek medical advice even for minor ailments. Pharmacies (약국 – yak-guk) are very accessible and pharmacists can often provide effective over-the-counter remedies for common issues like inflammation.
It’s common to describe symptoms quite directly. Using phrases like “염증이 생겼어요” (yeom-jjeung-i saeng-gyeot-seo-yo) or pointing to the affected area while explaining the pain (통증 – tong-jjeung) or swelling (붓기 – but-gi) is standard practice.
While self-treatment with over-the-counter medicine is common for mild inflammation, Koreans generally visit a clinic (의원 – ui-won) or hospital (병원 – byeong-won) if symptoms are severe or persistent. Don’t hesitate to seek professional medical help when needed.
Be prepared for doctors or pharmacists to ask specific questions about when the symptoms started (언제부터 – eon-je-bu-teo) and the nature of the discomfort. Having the right vocabulary ready will make the consultation smoother.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A person (A) goes to a pharmacy (약국) to get medicine for throat inflammation.
Roles: A: Customer, B: Pharmacist (약사 – yak-sa)
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Expression: A: 안녕하세요. 목 염증 약 좀 주세요.
Pronunciation: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. mok yeom-jjeung yak jom ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Hello. Please give me some medicine for throat inflammation. -
Expression: B: 네, 어떤 증상이 있으세요? 목이 많이 아프세요?
Pronunciation: ne, eo-tteon jeung-sang-i i-sseu-se-yo? mok-i ma-ni a-peu-se-yo?
Meaning: Yes, what symptoms do you have? Does your throat hurt a lot? -
Expression: A: 네, 어제부터 목이 붓고 아파요. 침 삼킬 때 통증이 있어요.
Pronunciation: ne, eo-je-bu-teo mok-i but-go a-pa-yo. chim sam-kil ttae tong-jjeung-i it-seo-yo.
Meaning: Yes, since yesterday my throat has been swollen and painful. It hurts when I swallow saliva. -
Expression: B: 열은 없으시고요?
Pronunciation: yeol-eun eop-seu-si-go-yo?
Meaning: And you don’t have a fever? -
Expression: A: 열은 없는 것 같아요. 그냥 목 염증이 심해요.
Pronunciation: yeol-eun eom-neun geot ga-ta-yo. geu-nyang mok yeom-jjeung-i sim-hae-yo.
Meaning: I don’t think I have a fever. Just the throat inflammation is severe. -
Expression: B: 알겠습니다. 염증 가라앉히는 약이랑 진통제 같이 드릴게요. 식후 30분에 드세요.
Pronunciation: al-get-seum-ni-da. yeom-jjeung ga-ra-an-chi-neun yak-i-rang jin-tong-je ga-chi deu-ril-ge-yo. sik-hu sam-sip-bun-e deu-se-yo.
Meaning: Okay. I’ll give you anti-inflammatory medicine and painkillers together. Take them 30 minutes after meals. -
Expression: A: 네, 감사합니다.
Pronunciation: ne, gam-sa-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: Yes, thank you.
Practice Tips
Knowing how to discuss inflammation (염증 – yeom-jjeung) is really useful, especially if you need medical help in Korea! Try practicing the different types of inflammation and symptom descriptions. You can role-play visiting a pharmacy or clinic~ Imagine describing your symptoms like “목에 염증이 생겼어요” (mok-e yeom-jjeung-i saeng-gyeot-seo-yo) or “피부가 가려워요” (pi-bu-ga ga-ryeo-wo-yo). The more you practice, the more confident you’ll become when talking about health issues in Korean. 화이팅! (hwa-i-ting! – Fighting!/Good luck!)
