설사
seolsa[sʰʌ̹ɭsʰa̠]
The Korean word for diarrhea is 설사 (seolsa).
설사 is a noun used to refer to the medical condition of diarrhea.
Meaning: medical condition (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 설사 is the specific term for diarrhea, you may also encounter 배탈, which is a more common and less clinical way to describe a general upset stomach or digestive issues that might include diarrhea.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the noun as a verb meaning 'to have diarrhea', you can add the verb 하다 (to do) to the noun, forming 설사하다.
How do you pronounce it?
seolsa
Did you know?
- If you use the word 설사 in a sentence that is not about medicine, it can act as a conjunction meaning 'supposing' or 'even if'.
- Because 설사 can be an embarrassing topic, people often use the vague phrase 화장실에 자주 가요, which means 'I go to the bathroom often', to signal the condition without naming it.
- In traditional Korean medicine, symptoms like 설사 are often linked to an imbalance of 'cold energy' in the digestive tract rather than just a bacterial or viral infection.
Examples in context
- 설사가 얼마 동안 계속되고 있나요?How long has the diarrhea been going on?
- 설사를 해요.I have diarrhea.
- 설사 때문에 너무 힘들어요.seolsa ttaemune neomu himdeureoyo.I am having a hard time because of diarrhea.
- 어제부터 설사를 계속해요.eojebuteo seolsareul gyesokhaeyo.I have had diarrhea continuously since yesterday.
- 설사 증상이 있으면 약을 드세요.seolsa jeungsangi isseumyeon yageul deuseyo.If you have symptoms of diarrhea, take medicine.
Example conversation
Minji asks Minjun about his health at the office.
- 민지 Min-ji민준 씨, 어디 아파요?Minjun ssi, eodi apayo?Minjun, are you sick somewhere?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 설사가 좀 심해요.Ne, seolsaga jom simhaeyo.Yes, my diarrhea is a bit severe.
- 민지 Min-ji병원에 꼭 가 보세요.Byeongwone kkok ga boseyo.You should definitely go to the hospital.
- 민준 Min-jun고마워요, 민지 씨.Gomawoyo, Minji ssi.Thank you, Minji.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diarrhea” translations and entries 설사, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
