4 · 40 words

Illness and treatment

Symptoms, diagnoses, treatment and recovery: the words of medical news and longer stays in hospital.

Medical Korean runs on Sino-Korean syllables that work like Latin and Greek roots in English: 증 “symptom” in 증상 and 합병증, 염 “inflammation” in 염증 and 위염, 혈 “blood” in 혈액, 혈관 and 혈당. Many states of an illness come in pairs with 되다: 호전되다 “to get better”, 악화되다 “to get worse”. In ordinary talk people still say 병 and 낫다; these are the words of the doctor and the news.

The words

Verb (9)

치료하다to treat (an illness)Verb3

이 병은 일찍 발견하면 쉽게 치료할 수 있어요.If it is caught early, this illness is easy to treat.

Being treated is 치료를 받다.

회복하다to recoverVerb4

수술 후에 생각보다 빨리 회복했어요.I recovered faster than expected after the operation.

예방하다to preventVerb4

손을 자주 씻으면 감기를 예방할 수 있어요.Washing your hands often can prevent colds.

기절하다to faintVerb4

너무 더운 날 오래 서 있다가 기절했어요.I fainted after standing for a long time on a very hot day.

복용하다to take (medicine)Verb4

이 약은 하루 세 번 식사 후에 복용하세요.Take this medicine three times a day after meals.

Formal, on labels; in conversation 약을 먹다.

호전되다to improve; to get better (of an illness)Verb4

새 약을 먹고 나서 증상이 많이 호전됐어요.After I started the new medicine, my symptoms got much better.

악화되다to get worse; to deteriorateVerb4

치료를 미루면 병이 악화될 수 있어요.If you put off treatment, the illness can get worse.

재발하다to come back; to recurVerb4

다 나은 줄 알았는데 피부병이 재발했어요.I thought it had cleared up, but my skin condition came back.

간병하다to nurse; to care for (a sick person)Verb4

어머니는 몇 달 동안 아버지를 간병하셨어요.My mother nursed my father for several months.

This list belongs to The body and health — seven lists and 281 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.