Body Aches, Runny Nose, Fever in Korean | How to Talk About Feeling Sick 😷

Hello everyone! 🌻

In this post, we’ll explore essential vocabulary and phrases to talk about common symptoms like body aches, a runny nose, and fever in Korean.

You’ll learn how to articulate your discomfort clearly and effectively.

Let’s dive in and get you feeling better equipped to handle those sick days in Korean!

1) I have a runny nose

Check out to hear the pronunciation! 🔼



So “I have a runny nose” is 콧물이 계속 나와.


Let’s take a look at different formalities!


콧물이 계속 나와. (informal)
콧물이 계속 나와요. (pretty formal)
콧물이 계속 나옵니다. (very formal)



콧물 is composed of 코 (nose) + 물 (water), literally meaning “nose water,” which refers to snot. 계속 means “continuously” or “constantly,” and the most common translation for 계속 is “keep~ing”.
And 나오다 means “to come out”.
So, the phrase 콧물이 계속 나와 literally means: “My nose water keeps coming out!” Makes sense, right?

You can also say “콧물이 나와” without 계속, which means you just have snot at the moment.

You can omit the “이” particle after “콧물”. 😊

Examples!

감기 걸려서 콧물이 계속 나와…
I caught a cold, and I have a runny nose… 😷


알레르기 때문에 콧물이 계속 나와요.
I have a runny nose because of allergies.🌿


너 콧물이 계속 나오는데? 병원 가야겠다.
You’ve got a runny nose. You should see a doctor.


콧물이 안 멈춰! 어떡하지?.
My nose won’t stop running! What should I do?

2) I have a fever

Check out to hear the pronunciation! 🔼


So “I have a ever” is 열이 나!, pretty simple, right?!


Let’s take a look at different formalities!


열이 나. (informal)
열이 나요. (pretty formal)
열이 납니다. (very formal)


열 means “fever,” and
나다 means “to come out” or “to appear.”

So, literally, “fever comes out” or “fever appears” is how we express it.

You can say “열이 계속 나요” (I keep having a fever) if you have a fever for several days.

You can omit the “이” particle after “열”. 😊



Examples


지금 엄청 열 나. 거의 38도야.
I have a high fever right now. It’s almost 38 degrees. 🌡️


밤새 열이 나서 잠을 못 잤어요.
I had a fever all night, so I couldn’t sleep. 😔


우리 애기가 계속 열이 나서 걱정이 됐어요.
I was worried because our baby kept having a fever. 😟


열이 나면, 무조건 두통약을 먹어야 해요.
If you have a fever, you should definitely take some headache medicine. 💊

3) My whole body aches

Check out to hear the pronunciation! 🔼


So “My whole body aches” is 몸살이 났어요!, we are using the same “나다(to appear)” verb.
And we are conjugating to the past tense 🙂


Let’s take a look at different formalities!


몸살이 났어. (informal)
몸살이 났어요. (pretty formal)
몸살이 났습니다. (very formal)




몸 means “body,” and 살 doesn’t have any specific meaning in this context! (살 can mean “fat” or “skin,” though.)

The whole word “몸살” can be thought of as a condition where the body is in a state of distress or pain. 😊

You can omit the “이” particle after “몸살”.



Examples


어제 늦게까지 일해서 몸살이 났어요.
I worked late yesterday, and now I have body aches. 😓


기침하고 콧물도 나고, 몸살이 심하게 났어요.
I have a cough and a runny nose, and my body aches are really severe. 🤧


오늘 몸살이 난 것 같아요. 출근은 힘들 것 같습니다. 😔
I feel like I have body aches today. I don’t think I can go to work.


저번주에 몸살이 심하게 나서 힘들었어요. 😟
I had severe body aches last week, and it was tough.

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