Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 머리가 아파요 | meori-ga apayo |
| 두통이 있습니다 | dutong'i itseumnida |
| 두통이 있어요 | dutong'i isseoyo |
| 머리가 아픕니다 | meori-ga apeumnida |
In Korean, you can express having a headache by saying your head hurts or by using the specific noun for a headache. While you might use the specific noun in clinical settings, it is much more common and natural in daily conversation to simply say your head hurts.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase 머리가 아파요, 머리 means head and 아파요 is the verb meaning hurts.
Which one should you use?
The phrase 머리가 아파요 is more commonly used in daily conversation than the more clinical 두통이 있어요. In contrast, 두통이 있어요 or 두통이 있습니다 uses the specific noun for headache and feels more clinical or formal. For a more descriptive, colloquial way to say you have a pounding headache, you can use 머리가 쑤시다.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness changes depending on the form you choose. 머리가 아파요 is the standard polite form used in everyday social situations. For formal or professional settings, such as speaking to a doctor, you might use 두통이 있습니다. If you are speaking casually to friends or someone younger, you can use the informal 머리 아파.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 머리가 아파요, 머리 (head) functions as the subject of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
meori-ga apayo
Did you know?
- While 'headache' is often a medical symptom, Koreans frequently use the expression 머리가 아프다 metaphorically to mean 'I have a headache' in the sense of having a problematic person or a difficult situation to deal with.
- In many Korean language learning materials, the noun 머리 is taught first as 'head', but it is also the standard word used for 'hair' in many contexts.
- If you are experiencing a headache caused by extreme stress or mental exhaustion, a Korean speaker might say 머리가 지끈지끈하다 to describe a pulsating sensation.
Examples in context
- 머리가 아파요.I have a headache.This sentence is useful for saying 'I have a headache.' with the form 머리가 아파요.Tatoeba #4965773 by rainbow4us, translation #1712 by CK
- 쉴 수 있을까요? 머리가 계속 아파와서Could I take a break? Because my headache keeps getting worse.
- 너무 피곤해서 그런지 머리가 아파요.neomu pigonhaeseo geureonji meoriga apayo.Maybe it's because I'm so tired, but my head hurts.
- 갑자기 머리가 아파요.gapjagi meoriga apayo.Suddenly, I have a headache.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ji-hun and Seo-yeon are at the office.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연 씨, 어디 안 좋아요?seo-yeon ssi, eo-di an jo-a-yo?Seo-yeon, are you feeling unwell?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 갑자기 머리가 아파요.ne, gap-ja-gi meo-ri-ga a-pa-yo.Yes, I suddenly have a headache.
- 지훈 Ji-hun약 좀 드릴까요?yak jom deu-ril-kka-yo?Shall I give you some medicine?
- 서연 Seo-yeon감사합니다, 지훈 씨.gam-sa-ham-ni-da, ji-hun ssi.Thank you, Ji-hun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I have a headache” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
