Key Facts
- Hangul: 약; Revised Romanization: yak
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral; used for both prescription and over-the-counter medicine. Note that 약 also means 'about / approximately' as a separate homophone.
- Hanja: 藥 (medicine)
Medicine in Korean: How Do You Pronounce 약?
One syllable, yak, ending in an unreleased k. When a particle starting with a vowel follows, the ㄱ moves across and is voiced, so 약을 is read yageul. In 약국 (pharmacy) the next ㄱ becomes tense instead: the RR stays yakguk, but you hear yak-kkuk.
Example Sentences with 약
약을 먹어요.
Yageul meogeoyo
I take medicine.
The basic phrase. 먹어요 is the polite form of "eat", which is the verb Korean uses for taking medicine.
이 약은 하루에 세 번 먹어요.
I yageun harue se beon meogeoyo
You take this medicine three times a day.
A dosing instruction. 하루에 means "per day" and 세 번 "three times", so the sentence gives the schedule.
감기약을 사러 약국에 가요.
Gamgiyageul sareo yakguge gayo
I go to the pharmacy to buy cold medicine.
A two-step errand. 사러 means "in order to buy", and 약국 is the pharmacy where the buying happens.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 약을 먹다 | to take medicine |
| 약을 사다 | to buy medicine |
| 감기약 | cold medicine |
| 약을 바르다 | to apply ointment |
약을 바르다 is for ointment, which you spread on rather than swallow, so 먹다 does not fit there.
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners translate "take medicine" with 마시다 (drink) or 하다.
Wrong: 약을 하다.
Correct: 약을 먹다. In daily speech 먹다 (eat) is the verb for swallowed medicine, even liquid medicine.
약 Compared with Similar Words
The related words are the places and forms around the medicine itself.
| Word | Meaning | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| 약 | medicine | This page's word |
| 약국 | pharmacy | pharmacy |
| 처방전 | prescription | prescription |
| 알약 | pill; tablet | pill / tablet |
Where Does the Word Come From?
약 is Sino-Korean, from the hanja 藥, which simply means medicine.
Talking to a Pharmacist
A customer asks about cold medicine. The pharmacist asks follow-up questions before discussing a product. The conversation practices describing the situation, without giving a dose or choosing a medicine.
Customer
감기약 있어요?
Gamgiyak isseoyo?
Do you have cold medicine?
Pharmacist
네. 어떤 증상이 있어요?
Ne. Eotteon jeungsangi isseoyo?
Yes. What symptoms do you have?
Customer
기침이 나요.
Gichimi nayo.
I have a cough.
Pharmacist
지금 먹는 약이 있어요?
Jigeum meongneun yagi isseoyo?
Are you taking any medicine now?
감기약 names a category, while 지금 먹는 약 asks about medicine the customer currently takes. 먹는 goes before 약 to describe it: literally, “medicine being taken”. The pharmacist's question is broader than the cold remedy the customer first requested. A reply may need to name another medicine as well.
How Does the Verb Change with the Kind of Medicine?
약을 먹다 is for medicine taken by mouth. 약을 바르다 is for medicine spread onto the skin, such as an ointment. 약 is the same broad noun in both phrases; the verb tells you how it is used. Translate the complete phrase instead of giving English “take” the same Korean verb in every situation.
약을 처방하다 means “to prescribe medicine”. A doctor does the prescribing, while a patient may say 약을 먹다 about taking it. 처방전 is the prescription document. The medicine, the document and the action are separate ideas even when they appear together in one account of a clinic visit.
복용하다 is a more formal verb for taking medicine, especially in written instructions. You may see 복용 on a medicine bag where everyday conversation would use 먹다. The difference is register, rather than a more polite name for the medicine itself. 약 remains useful when speaking to family, doctors or pharmacy staff.
Where Will You See 약-Related Wording?
약국 identifies a pharmacy on a storefront. A large 약 sign is also a useful clue, but 약 alone names medicine rather than the business. Inside, 약사 means pharmacist. The shared syllable ties the vocabulary together without making the words interchangeable.
Instructions may include 식전, “before a meal”, and 식후, “after a meal”. These words identify timing relative to eating. 하루에 in the existing example means “per day”, while 세 번 counts three occasions. That example illustrates the language; the numbers and timing for a particular product come from its own instructions.
The homophone 약 meaning “approximately” typically comes before an amount. 약 10분 means “about ten minutes”. In 약을 먹다, the object marker 을 and the eating verb identify medicine. In 약 10분, the number and time unit identify an estimate. The same Hangul spelling has two different jobs.
Phrases That Use 약 Figuratively
약이 되다 literally means “to become medicine”. It can describe an experience or piece of advice that ultimately helps someone. 쓴 약 means “bitter medicine”; depending on the context, it may be actual medicine with a bitter taste or an unpleasant lesson that is useful.
In a health conversation, start with the literal meaning unless the speaker clearly shifts to advice or experience. A drama character saying that a failure was 약이 되다 is talking about its benefit, rather than a product from a pharmacy.
Words around a Pharmacy Visit
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 약사 | pharmacist | The person you speak to at a pharmacy. |
| 증상 | symptom | The pharmacist may ask what you are experiencing. |
| 알약 | pill; tablet | Names a solid form of medicine. |
| 물약 | liquid medicine | Still commonly paired with 먹다 in everyday speech. |
| 연고 | ointment | Commonly paired with 바르다, “apply”. |
The health vocabulary lesson connects medicine words with symptoms and clinic vocabulary.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb fits ointment applied to the skin: 먹다 or 바르다?
- Does 약 10분 refer to medicine?
- Who is the 약사: the pharmacist or the prescription?
Show answers
- 바르다. 먹다 describes taking medicine by mouth.
- No. It means approximately ten minutes.
- The pharmacist. The prescription is 처방전.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "medicine" in Korean?
Say 약 (yak).
Which verb goes with 약?
Use 먹다, as in 약을 먹어요. Daily speech uses 먹다 even for liquid medicine.
How do I say "cold medicine"?
Say 감기약, joining 감기 and 약.
Is the 약 meaning "about" the same word?
No. It is a separate homophone, so the context decides.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Health word list groups 약 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the pharmacy page.
- Compare with the prescription page.