환자
hwanja[ˈɸwa̠(ː)ɲd͡ʑa̠]
The English word 'patient' (referring to someone receiving medical treatment) is translated into Korean as 환자 (hwanja). Wiktionary also lists 병인 (byeong'in).
Meaning: someone who receives treatment from a doctor (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 환자 | hwanja | [ˈɸwa̠(ː)ɲd͡ʑa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 병인 | byeong'in | [pjʌ̹ŋin] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
When referring to a person receiving medical care, the standard term is 환자. If you are speaking informally, you might use the phrase 아픈 사람.
Which one should you use?
환자 is the standard and most common term for a medical patient. In contrast, 병인 is another way to express the concept of a patient.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To speak more politely about a patient, especially when you are medical staff, you can add the honorific suffix –분 to the word to form 환자분.
How do you pronounce it?
hwanja
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 환자 to describe a person's personality trait of being patient. Instead, use 참을성 있는, 인내심 있는 or 끈기 있는.
Did you know?
- In some traditional contexts, people may avoid the word 환자 when speaking to the person directly to avoid emphasizing their illness, preferring to use the person's name or a social title.
- The word 환자 belongs to a class of 'person' words ending in 자 (者), which is often used in legal or formal contexts to categorize people, such as 'applicant' or 'suspect'.
- Because Korean is a highly contextual language, the word 환자 is often omitted entirely from a sentence if it is already clear that the speaker is talking about the person receiving care.
Examples in context
- 환자 분은 건강해 보였습니다.The patient looked healthy.This sentence shows how to use 환자 to describe a person's health status.Tatoeba #13135578 by SN_H, translation #8826685 by sundown
- 병원에는 많은 환자들이 있습니다.There are many patients in the hospital.
- 그 환자는 아주 힘들어 보여요.geu hwanjaneun aju himdeureo boyeoyo.That patient looks very tired.
- 새로운 환자가 도착했습니다.saeroun hwanjaga dochakhaesseumnida.A new patient has arrived.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Seoyeon are working at a clinic.
- 도현 Do-hyeon서연 씨, 다음 환자 분 들어오세요.Seoyeon ssi, daeum hwanja bun deureooseyo.Seoyeon, please call in the next patient.
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 알겠습니다. 바로 부를게요.ne, algetseumnida. baro bureulgeyo.Yes, I understand. I will call them right away.
- 도현 Do-hyeon대기실에 환자가 아직 더 있나요?daegisire hwanjaga ajik deo innayo?Are there still more patients in the waiting room?
- 서연 Seo-yeon두 분 더 계세요.du bun deo gyeseyo.There are two more people.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “patient” translations and entries 환자, 병인, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
