How to Say “It hurts” in Korean: 아파요 (apayo)

아파요

apayo

Situation: Travel, lodging & emergenciesLevel: Starter (just learning Hangul)

Meaning

It hurts. / I’m sick.

아프다 means “to hurt” or “to be sick.” Put the body part first, as in 머리가 아파요 (My head hurts).

Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.

Syllables: 3 · Words: 1

It is pronounced just as it is written.

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
아	ㅇ+ㅏ	a
파	ㅍ+ㅏ	pa
요	ㅇ+ㅛ	yo

A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.

Style: Polite (해요체)Sentence type: Statement or set phrase

Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “아파요” mean?

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Answer: It hurts. / I’m sick

Question 2 How do you say “It hurts. / I’m sick” in Korean?

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Answer: 아파요 apayo

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