Key Facts
- Hangul: 병원; Revised Romanization: byeongwon
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral; for small clinics you can also hear 의원, and 병원 is used broadly for clinics too.
- Hanja: 病院 (病 illness + 院 institution)
Hospital in Korean: What Does 병원 Mean?
병원 means hospital, and it is neutral in register. In everyday speech it also covers small clinics, so "going to the doctor" is usually 병원에 가요. 의원 is the name for a smaller clinic, often seen on signs.
How Is 병원 Used?
병원 is often a destination, which is why the particle 에 appears so often. Besides 가다, it pairs with 입원하다 for being admitted. Compounds extend the meaning: 종합병원 is a general hospital and 병원비 is the bill.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Two syllables, byeong-won. The first ends in ng and the second begins with a w glide. With a particle, the ㄴ of 원 carries over: 병원에 is read byeong-wo-ne.
Example Sentences with 병원
병원에 가요.
Byeongwone gayo
I go to the hospital.
가요 is the motion verb and 에 marks the destination.
이 병원은 아주 커요.
I byeongwoneun aju keoyo
This hospital is very big.
커요 means is big, so this line describes a large hospital.
할머니가 병원에 계세요.
Halmeoniga byeongwone gyeseyo
My grandmother is at the hospital.
계세요 is the honorific for being somewhere, used because the person is the speaker's grandmother.
Collocations
Phrases include the visit, being admitted, the general hospital and the bill.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 병원에 가다 | to go to the hospital |
| 병원에 입원하다 | to be admitted to the hospital |
| 종합병원 | general hospital |
| 병원비 | hospital bill |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners mark the destination with the object marker.
Avoid: 병원을 가요. You will hear it in casual speech, but it is not the standard pattern.
Correct: 병원에 가요. A destination takes 에.
병원 Compared with Similar Words
의원 is a clinic, 약국 is a pharmacy and 응급실 is an emergency room.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 병원 | hospital | This page's word |
| 의원 | clinic | clinic; smaller facility |
| 약국 | pharmacy | pharmacy |
| 응급실 | emergency room | emergency room |
Where Does the Word Come From?
병원 is Sino-Korean, written 病院 (病 illness + 院 institution).
At Reception: a First Visit
A patient arrives at a hospital reception desk. This conversation concerns registration, before any discussion of symptoms or treatment.
Receptionist
처음 오셨어요?
Cheoeum osyeosseoyo?
Is this your first visit?
Patient
네. 이 병원은 처음이에요.
Ne. I byeongwoneun cheoeumieyo.
Yes. It’s my first time at this hospital.
Receptionist
성함이 어떻게 되세요?
Seonghami eotteoke doeseyo?
May I have your name?
Patient
김민수예요.
Gim Minsuyeyo.
I’m Kim Minsu.
처음 means “the first time”. The receptionist's 오셨어요 is a respectful form of “came”, used here to ask about the visit. English naturally translates the question as “Is this your first visit?” rather than translating each word separately.
성함 is the respectful word for a person's name. The receptionist uses it for the patient, while the patient simply gives a name. Neither speaker needs a more formal version of 병원 itself: respect appears in the words around it and the sentence endings.
Reading Hospital Signs and Desk Labels
접수 means “registration” or “reception”. It is a useful first label to recognize when you enter a medical facility. 수납 concerns payment or settling the bill. A desk may handle both, but the two words describe different tasks.
진료 means medical consultation or care. A sign with 진료 시간 gives consultation hours. The word is broader than a single test or a prescription, so it helps you understand why a hospital visit is being discussed without naming a particular treatment.
입원 means admission for an inpatient stay, and 퇴원 means discharge from that stay. Visiting a doctor does not automatically involve 입원. Someone can go to 병원 for a consultation and return home the same day.
예약 means a reservation or appointment. In a hospital setting it normally concerns an appointment, while the same word can describe a hotel booking elsewhere. The place supplies the meaning that English often expresses with a different noun.
Everyday Combinations with 병원
병원에 다니다 means “to attend a hospital or clinic regularly”. The verb 다니다 suggests repeated visits, such as ongoing appointments. 병원에 가다 can refer to a single trip, so the two combinations give different information about the visit pattern.
병원에 입원하다 is literal: to be admitted to hospital. 입원하다 already includes the idea of admission, and 병원에 identifies the destination. When the hospital is obvious, speakers can leave that place word out.
병원비 combines 병원 with 비, “cost” or “fee”. It names hospital or medical expenses, rather than the building. A conversation about paying 병원비 is about the expense of care; it does not tell you the amount or what a particular service includes.
Where Will You Hear 병원 outside a Hospital?
In everyday plans, 병원에 가요 can mean “I'm going to the doctor”. The speaker may be visiting a local clinic rather than a large hospital. This wider everyday use explains why a conversation can use 병원 even when the building's sign says 의원.
In a family conversation, 병원에 계세요 respectfully says that someone is at the hospital. 계세요 honors the person who is there. That sentence alone does not say whether the person is a patient, a visitor or an employee; the rest of the conversation supplies that detail.
A hospital name can also contain a specialty, such as 치과 for dentistry. Recognizing the specialty helps you understand the sign more precisely than translating 병원 alone.
People and Places around a Hospital Visit
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 의사 | doctor | Name the professional giving medical care. |
| 간호사 | nurse | Identify another member of the care team. |
| 환자 | patient | Describe the person receiving care. |
| 접수 | registration; reception | Recognize the first administrative step. |
| 진료실 | consultation room | Identify the room for seeing the doctor. |
The health vocabulary lesson teaches more words for this setting. These labels help you follow a visit without needing to translate every part of a sign.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 병원에 가요 always mean visiting a large hospital?
- Which means admission for a hospital stay: 입원 or 퇴원?
- What does 병원비 refer to?
Show answers
- No. Everyday 병원 also covers visits to local clinics.
- 입원. 퇴원 means discharge.
- Hospital or medical expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hospital in Korean?
Say 병원 (byeongwon).
How do I say I go to the hospital?
Say 병원에 가요.
What is a general hospital?
It is 종합병원.
What is a clinic?
A small clinic is 의원, though people still say 병원 for clinics in everyday speech.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Daily life health vocabulary groups 병원 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.