Pain and body

❃ Pain and body

어디가 아프세요? [ Eodiga apeuseyo? ]: Where does it hurt?
여기가 아파요. [ Yeogiga apayo. ]: It hurts here.
머리가 아파요. [ Meoriga apayo. ]: I have a headache.
배가 아파요. [ Baega apayo. ]: I have a stomachache.
목이 아파요. [ Mogi apayo. ]: I have a sore throat.
허리가 아파요. [ Heoriga apayo. ]: My lower back hurts.
다리가 아파요. [ Dariga apayo. ]: My legs hurt.
무릎이 아파요. [ Mureupi apayo. ]: My knees hurt.
발목이 아파요. [ Balmogi apayo. ]: My ankle hurts.
어깨가 결려요. [ Oekkaega gyeollyeoyo. ]: My shoulders are stiff.
눈이 따가워요. [ Nuni ttagawoyo. ]: My eyes sting.
이가 아파요. [ Iga apayo. ]: I have a toothache.
귀가 아파요. [ Gwiga apayo. ]: I have an earache.
근육통이 있어요. [ Geunyuktongi isseoyo. ]: I have muscle pain.
생리통이 심해요. [ Saengritongi simhaeyo. ]: I have bad menstrual cramps.

Cultural notes

Expressing pain in Korean is grammatically quite simple but culturally rich. To say that a specific body part hurts, you simply state the body part followed by the subject particle (이/가 - i/ga) and the verb 아파요 (Apayo - "It hurts"). For example, "My head hurts" is 머리가 아파요 (Meoriga apayo), and "My stomach hurts" is 배가 아파요 (Baega apayo). However, the sounds you make when you are in pain are completely different. If you bump your toe or burn your finger, shouting "Ouch!" will immediately out you as a foreigner. The instinctive, natural Korean exclamation for physical pain is 아야! (A-ya!). Beyond standard aches and pains, there is a very specific, untranslatable illness in Korean culture known as 몸살 (Momsal). If someone says 몸살에 걸렸어요 (Momsare geollyeosseoyo), they are describing a severe, full-body ache, fatigue, and chills that result entirely from overworking, extreme stress, or physical exhaustion. It is the ultimate manifestation of Korea's intense work and study culture taking a physical toll on the body. It isn't exactly a flu, and it isn't just a cold; it is an exhaustion-induced body ache. The traditional Korean cure for *Momsal* is not just taking painkillers (진통제 - Jintongje). Locals will typically head straight to a Jjimjilbang (public bathhouse) to sweat it out in a blisteringly hot stone sauna (한증막 - Hanjeungmak), or they will turn up the Ondol (underfloor heating) in their bedroom to the maximum temperature and sleep on the roasting floor wrapped in heavy blankets to "sweat out the pain." Learning these terms not only helps a doctor treat you properly but also helps you connect with the incredibly hardworking locals.

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