약을 먹다
yageul meokda
To take medicine in Korean is 약을 먹다 (yageul meokda).
This phrase is used to describe the act of ingesting a drug or medication to treat an illness. While English uses the verb 'take' for medication, Korean uses the verb '먹다' (to eat) to express the act of ingesting it.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 약 (medicine) and 먹다 (to eat/consume).
Which one should you use?
In casual conversation, the object marker 를 is often dropped, resulting in 약 먹다.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking about an elder or someone you wish to show respect to, use the honorific verb 드시다 instead of 먹다, resulting in 약을 드시다. The phrase 약을 먹다 is conjugated to 약을 먹어요 in the standard polite present tense.
How do you pronounce it?
yageul meokda
Did you know?
- The verb 먹다 is used in many idiomatic expressions for 'consuming' things that are not food, such as 마음을 먹다 (to make up one's mind), which literally means 'to eat one's heart'.
- The verb 먹다 has been used to describe the act of consuming substances in the Korean language since at least the 15th century, as seen in the Middle Korean text Worin cheon'gangjigok.
- The concept of 'eating' medicine in Korean extends to many different forms of substances, including liquid syrups and even herbal-infused teas, all of which use the same verb 먹다.
Examples in context
- 감기약을 먹다Take cold medicine
- 진통제를 복용하다Take painkillers
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 먹다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
