Discussing changes in vision, particularly those related to aging, requires specific vocabulary. This guide focuses on the Korean term for presbyopia, 노안 (no-an), and related expressions. You’ll learn how to talk about symptoms, visit an optometrist, and understand cultural nuances surrounding age-related vision changes in Korea.
Table Of Content
Core Term
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Expression: 노안
Pronunciation: no-an
Meaning: Presbyopia (age-related farsightedness)
Basic Phrases About Presbyopia
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Expression: 저 노안이 온 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: jeo no-an-i on geot ga-ta-yo.
Meaning: I think I’m getting presbyopia. -
Expression: 노안 때문에 글씨가 잘 안 보여요.
Pronunciation: no-an ttae-mun-e geul-ssi-ga jal an bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: Because of presbyopia, I can’t see the letters well. -
Expression: 요즘 눈이 침침해요. 노안인가 봐요.
Pronunciation: yo-jeum nun-i chim-chim-hae-yo. no-an-in-ga bwa-yo.
Meaning: My eyes feel dim lately. I guess it’s presbyopia. -
Expression: 노안 안경을 맞춰야 할 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: no-an an-gyeong-eul mat-chwo-ya hal geot ga-ta-yo.
Meaning: I think I need to get reading glasses (glasses for presbyopia). -
Expression: 노안은 보통 몇 살부터 와요?
Pronunciation: no-an-eun bo-tong myeot sal-bu-teo wa-yo?
Meaning: From what age does presbyopia usually start? -
Expression: 가까운 게 잘 안 보여서 불편해요.
Pronunciation: ga-kka-un ge jal an bo-yeo-seo bul-pyeon-hae-yo.
Meaning: It’s inconvenient because I can’t see things up close well. -
Expression: 스마트폰 글씨가 흐릿하게 보여요.
Pronunciation: seu-ma-teu-pon geul-ssi-ga heu-rit-ha-ge bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: The text on my smartphone looks blurry. -
Expression: 책 읽기가 힘들어졌어요.
Pronunciation: chaek il-kki-ga him-deu-reo-jyeo-sseo-yo.
Meaning: Reading books has become difficult. -
Expression: 돋보기가 필요해요.
Pronunciation: dot-bo-gi-ga pil-yo-hae-yo.
Meaning: I need reading glasses (magnifying glasses). -
Expression: 노안 수술도 있나요?
Pronunciation: no-an su-sul-do it-na-yo?
Meaning: Is there surgery for presbyopia too?
Describing Symptoms
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Expression: 가까운 글씨가 초점이 안 맞아요.
Pronunciation: ga-kka-un geul-ssi-ga cho-jeom-i an ma-ja-yo.
Meaning: Close-up text is out of focus. -
Expression: 눈이 쉽게 피로해져요.
Pronunciation: nun-i swip-ge pi-ro-hae-jyeo-yo.
Meaning: My eyes get tired easily. -
Expression: 책을 멀리 두고 봐야 보여요.
Pronunciation: chae-geul meol-li du-go bwa-ya bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: I have to hold the book far away to see it. -
Expression: 어두운 곳에서는 더 안 보여요.
Pronunciation: eo-du-un go-se-seo-neun deo an bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: It’s harder to see in dark places. -
Expression: 작은 글씨를 읽으려면 인상을 쓰게 돼요.
Pronunciation: ja-geun geul-ssi-reul il-geu-ryeo-myeon in-sang-eul sseu-ge dwae-yo.
Meaning: I end up frowning when I try to read small print. -
Expression: 두통이 생길 때도 있어요.
Pronunciation: du-tong-i saeng-gil ttae-do i-sseo-yo.
Meaning: Sometimes I get headaches too. -
Expression: 시력이 예전 같지 않아요.
Pronunciation: si-ryeog-i ye-jeon gat-ji a-na-yo.
Meaning: My eyesight isn’t what it used to be. -
Expression: 원래 시력은 좋았어요.
Pronunciation: won-rae si-ryeog-eun jo-a-sseo-yo.
Meaning: My eyesight was originally good. -
Expression: 갑자기 눈이 나빠진 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: gap-ja-gi nun-i na-ppa-jin geot ga-ta-yo.
Meaning: It feels like my eyesight suddenly got worse. -
Expression: 안과 검사를 받아봐야겠어요.
Pronunciation: an-gwa geom-sa-reul ba-da-bwa-ya-ge-sseo-yo.
Meaning: I should get an eye exam.
At the Optometrist’s Office
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Expression: 시력 검사를 하고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: si-ryeok geom-sa-reul ha-go si-peo-yo.
Meaning: I want to have an eye exam. -
Expression: 노안 검사도 같이 해주세요.
Pronunciation: no-an geom-sa-do ga-chi hae-ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please check for presbyopia as well. -
Expression: 돋보기를 맞추러 왔어요.
Pronunciation: dot-bo-gi-reul mat-chu-reo wa-sseo-yo.
Meaning: I came to get fitted for reading glasses. -
Expression: 제 눈 상태가 어떤가요?
Pronunciation: je nun sang-tae-ga eo-tteon-ga-yo?
Meaning: What is the condition of my eyes? -
Expression: 노안이 얼마나 진행됐나요?
Pronunciation: no-an-i eol-ma-na jin-haeng-dwaen-na-yo?
Meaning: How far has the presbyopia progressed? -
Expression: 어떤 안경을 써야 하나요?
Pronunciation: eo-tteon an-gyeong-eul sseo-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: What kind of glasses should I wear? -
Expression: 다초점 렌즈는 어떤가요?
Pronunciation: da-cho-jeom ren-jeu-neun eo-tteon-ga-yo?
Meaning: How about multifocal lenses? -
Expression: 콘택트렌즈로도 교정이 가능한가요?
Pronunciation: kon-taek-teu-ren-jeu-ro-do gyo-jeong-i ga-neung-han-ga-yo?
Meaning: Can it be corrected with contact lenses too? -
Expression: 정기적으로 검사를 받는 것이 좋나요?
Pronunciation: jeong-gi-jeog-eu-ro geom-sa-reul ban-neun geo-si jon-na-yo?
Meaning: Is it good to get regular check-ups? -
Expression: 눈 건강을 위해 뭘 해야 할까요?
Pronunciation: nun geon-gang-eul wi-hae mwol hae-ya hal-kka-yo?
Meaning: What should I do for my eye health?
Cultural Tips
Understanding 노안 (no-an) involves more than just the medical term. In Korea, discussing aging, even regarding vision, is often done with sensitivity. While acknowledging presbyopia is common, people might use softer terms like 눈이 침침하다 (nun-i chim-chim-ha-da – eyes are dim) initially.
Reading glasses, 돋보기 (dot-bo-gi), are widely accepted and readily available. It’s common to see people using them in public without any stigma. Many opticians (안경원 – an-gyeong-won) offer quick eye tests specifically for reading glasses.
While advanced options like multifocal lenses or surgery exist, many Koreans opt for simple reading glasses due to cost and convenience. Discussing eye health is generally acceptable, especially among peers or family, but avoid making direct comments about someone else needing glasses unless they bring it up first.
Regular eye check-ups are encouraged, especially after the age of 40, as awareness of age-related eye conditions like presbyopia, cataracts (백내장 – baek-nae-jang), and glaucoma (녹내장 – nok-nae-jang) is growing.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: Two friends in their late 40s are having coffee.
Characters:
A: Minjun
B: Jiwon
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Expression: A: 지원아, 너 메뉴판 글씨 잘 보여? 나는 요즘 작은 글씨가 영 안 보이네.
Pronunciation: Ji-won-a, neo me-nyu-pan geul-ssi jal bo-yeo? na-neun yo-jeum ja-geun geul-ssi-ga yeong an bo-i-ne.
Meaning: A: Jiwon, can you see the menu text well? Lately, I really can’t see small print. -
Expression: B: 어? 나도 그래. 특히 좀 어두우면 더 심해. 아무래도 노안이 시작됐나 봐.
Pronunciation: Eo? na-do geu-rae. teu-ki jom eo-du-u-myeon deo sim-hae. a-mu-rae-do no-an-i si-jak-dwaen-na bwa.
Meaning: B: Oh? Me too. It’s worse especially when it’s a bit dark. I guess presbyopia has started. -
Expression: A: 나도 그럴 것 같아. 책 읽을 때 자꾸 멀리 두게 돼. 돋보기라도 맞춰야 하나 고민 중이야.
Pronunciation: Na-do geu-reol geot ga-ta. chaek il-geul ttae ja-kku meol-li du-ge dwae. dot-bo-gi-ra-do mat-chwo-ya ha-na go-min jung-i-ya.
Meaning: A: I think so too. When I read books, I keep holding them farther away. I’m wondering if I should get reading glasses. -
Expression: B: 나는 얼마 전에 안과 가서 검사받고 돋보기 맞췄어. 훨씬 편하더라. 너도 한번 가봐.
Pronunciation: Na-neun eol-ma jeon-e an-gwa ga-seo geom-sa-bat-go dot-bo-gi mat-chwo-sseo. hwol-ssin pyeon-ha-deo-ra. neo-do han-beon ga-bwa.
Meaning: B: I went to the eye doctor recently, got checked, and got reading glasses. It’s much more comfortable. You should go too. -
Expression: A: 그래야겠다. 불편해서 안 되겠어. 안경점 가면 바로 검사해 주겠지?
Pronunciation: Geu-rae-ya-get-da. bul-pyeon-hae-seo an doe-ge-sseo. an-gyeong-jeom ga-myeon ba-ro geom-sa-hae ju-get-ji?
Meaning: A: I should. It’s too inconvenient. If I go to an optical shop, they’ll do the test right away, right? -
Expression: B: 응, 간단한 노안 검사는 금방 해줘. 가서 상담받아 봐.
Pronunciation: Eung, gan-dan-han no-an geom-sa-neun geum-bang hae-jwo. ga-seo sang-dam-ba-da bwa.
Meaning: B: Yes, they do simple presbyopia tests quickly. Go and get a consultation.
Practice Tips
Familiarizing yourself with terms related to 노안 (no-an) is useful, especially if you or someone you know is experiencing age-related vision changes! Try using these phrases when discussing eyesight or reading small print~
Practice reading the symptoms aloud to get comfortable with the pronunciation. You can also role-play visiting an optometrist with a friend or language partner. Pay attention to how Koreans might subtly bring up the topic or use related terms like 돋보기 (dot-bo-gi) or 눈이 침침하다 (nun-i chim-chim-ha-da). Good luck practicing! 화이팅!
