Asking a Pharmacist About Medicine Safely | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 이 약 설명서를 잘 이해했는지 모르겠어요.

   I am not sure I understand this medicine label.

   이

   this

   약

   medicine

   설명서

   label; instructions

   잘

   well

   이해했는지

   whether (I) understood

   모르겠어요.

   I am not sure

   More detail

   이 means “this” and is a demonstrative placed before the noun or noun phrase it specifies. Here it identifies the medicine-related item as the one being referred to; Korean demonstratives do not by themselves state who possesses the item. 약 means “medicine” or “medication.” Here it specifies what the 설명서 is for. 설명서 means a written guide, instructions, or label. Together, 약 설명서 means “medicine instructions” or “medicine label”; the two nouns form one compact noun phrase. 잘 means “well” here. It modifies the understanding action, indicating adequate or successful understanding. For example, 잘 읽었어요 can mean “I read it well” or, in a suitable context, “I read it carefully.” 이해했는지 comes from the verb 이해하다, “to understand.” The form contains 이해했-, with the past/completed form of the verb, followed by -는지, which makes an embedded question meaning “whether” or “if.” Thus, here it means “whether I understood.” Korean can leave the subject unstated; the fixed translation identifies it here as “I.” 모르겠어요 is based on 모르다, “not to know.” In this sentence, -겠어요 presents the speaker’s uncertainty, giving “I am not sure” or “I don’t know.” The ending -어요 makes the statement polite. The first-person reading comes from the fixed translation and the sentence’s meaning, not from a separate subject pronoun in the text. The object phrase is 이 약 설명서를: 이 specifies the item, 약 설명서 names the medicine’s written instructions or label, and 를 marks that phrase as the object of 이해하다. Then 잘 이해했는지 expresses uncertainty about whether the speaker understood it well, and 모르겠어요 states that uncertainty politely. The whole utterance means: “I am not sure I understand this medicine label.”

2. 다음 약을 먹기 전에 약사에게 전화하세요.

   Call the pharmacist before you take the next dose.

   다음

   next

   약

   medicine

   먹기

   taking

   전에

   before

   약사

   pharmacist

   에게

   to

   전화하세요

   please call

   More detail

   다음 means “next” here and comes before the noun it describes: 다음 약 means “the next medicine/dose.” In this sentence, the fixed translation makes the intended meaning the next dose, rather than a general “following” item. The same form can describe other things, such as 다음 날 (“the next day”). 약 means “medicine” here. In 약을, the noun is followed by 을, the object marker; the medicine is the thing being taken. 약 can also mean a dose or medication in context, as reflected by the translation “dose.” 먹기 is the verb 먹다 (“to take/eat”) with -기, which turns the action into a noun-like expression. Here it means “taking [the medicine].” This nominalized form is useful before expressions such as 전에 (“before”) and 후에 (“after”): 자기 전에 means “before going to sleep.” 전에 means “before” and follows the action or event that must happen first. Thus 먹기 전에 means “before taking it.” The word 전에 can also follow a noun, as in 수업 전에 (“before class”). 약사 means “pharmacist,” the person to be contacted in this sentence. -사 is part of this established word; it should not be treated as a freely attached ending for making any occupation. A useful related occupation word is 의사 (“doctor”), but it names a different professional. 에게 marks the person who receives an action or communication. 약사에게 therefore means “to the pharmacist.” With communication verbs, it identifies the person contacted: 친구에게 전화하다 means “to call a friend.” 전화하세요 comes from 전화하다 (“to call”) and uses the polite -세요 ending. In this sentence it gives a respectful instruction or request: “call.” The ending is not the base form of the verb; 전화하다 is the dictionary form. For example, 확인하세요 means “please check,” using the same polite request pattern. Together, 다음 약을 identifies the next dose as the object, 먹기 전에 sets the time as before taking it, and 약사에게 전화하세요 instructs the listener to contact the pharmacist. The complete meaning is: “Call the pharmacist before you take the next dose.”

3. 특정 음식을 피해야 하는지도 물어보고 싶어요.

   I also want to ask whether I should avoid certain foods.

   특정

   certain; specific

   음식

   food

   피해야 하는지도

   whether one should avoid

   물어보고 싶어요

   want to ask

   More detail

   특정 means “specific” or “certain” here: it narrows the kind of food without naming which food. It is useful before a noun, as in 특정 약 (“a specific medicine”). Do not confuse it with 특별한, which more often means “special” or “unusual.” 음식 means “food” and is the noun acted on by 피하다 in this sentence. Korean often leaves number general, so 특정 음식 can mean “certain food” or “certain foods” depending on context; the form itself does not mark singular versus plural. In the full sentence, 을 marks this noun as the object: 특정 음식을. 피해야 하는지도 combines several reusable parts. The base verb is 피하다 (“to avoid”). 피해야 하다 expresses necessity, so 피해야 means “must/should avoid” in this question. The subject is omitted in Korean and is understood here as “I,” as confirmed by the fixed translation. The ending -는지 turns the clause into an indirect question: 피해야 하는지 means “whether I should avoid [it/them].” 도 adds “also/as well”; here it contributes to the sense that this matter is included among the things to ask about. A useful pattern is V-는지 물어보다 (“ask whether ...”). 물어보고 싶어요 is the polite present form of 물어보고 싶다, “want to ask.” 물어보다 means “to ask/inquire”; the -고 싶다 pattern expresses the speaker’s desire to do the verb: 물어보고 싶어요 = “I want to ask.” The polite ending -어요 makes the statement suitable for ordinary respectful conversation. For example, 시간을 물어보고 싶어요. means “I want to ask the time.” Putting the parts together, 특정 음식을 identifies the food to be avoided, 피해야 하는지 makes that idea an indirect “whether I should avoid it” question, and 물어보고 싶어요 says that the speaker wants to ask it. The complete meaning is: “I also want to ask whether I should avoid certain foods.”

4. 특히 설명에 식사에 대한 내용이 있다면 확인해 볼 만해요.

   That is worth checking, especially if the label mentions meals.

   특히

   especially

   설명

   label

   식사

   meal; meals

   내용

   content; information

   있다면

   if there is

   확인해 볼 만해요

   worth checking

   More detail

   특히 means “especially” and highlights one condition or case. It can be placed before the part being singled out: 특히 이 부분이 중요해요 means “This part is especially important.” 설명 is a noun meaning “explanation” or “description”; here, following the fixed translation, it refers to the label. The following particle 에 is not included in the phrase entry: 설명에 marks the place or source in which something is found, so 설명에 ... 있다 means that something is in the label. 식사 means “meal” or “meals.” In 식사에 대한, 에 대한 forms the reusable pattern “about/regarding”: 식사에 대한 질문 means “a question about meals.” The noun itself does not express the “about” relation; that relation comes from the larger construction. 내용 means “content” or “information.” Here, the larger phrase 식사에 대한 내용 means “content concerning meals.” A useful pattern is A에 대한 내용, “content about A”; for example, 복용법에 대한 내용 means “information about how to take it.” 있다면 is the conditional form of 있다, “to exist” or “to be present,” and means “if there is/are” or “if it is present.” The ending -다면 presents the condition as a supposition. A more neutral conditional form is 있으면, also meaning “if there is/are.” In this sentence, 식사에 대한 내용이 있다면 means “if there is information about meals.” Neither form by itself states how many items exist. 확인해 볼 만해요 is a reusable “is worth checking” construction. 확인하다 means “to check” or “to verify”; 확인해 보다 combines it with 보다 (“to try” or “to see”) to express trying/checking something out. 볼 is the form of 보다 used before 만하다, and -(으)ㄹ 만하다 means that an action is worth doing or sufficiently worthwhile. 해요 gives the sentence a polite conversational ending. For example, 이 내용도 확인해 볼 만해요 means “This information is also worth checking.” Putting the parts together: 특히 highlights the relevant case, 설명에 locates the information in the label, 식사에 대한 내용 means “content about meals,” and 있다면 makes that a condition. The main expression 확인해 볼 만해요 says that checking it is worthwhile. Thus the whole utterance means: “That is worth checking, especially if the label mentions meals.” The Korean sentence has no overt subject for “that”; the intended item is understood from the surrounding context.

5. 그 약을 먹고 나서 가벼운 두통이 있었어요.

   I had a mild headache after taking it.

   그

   that

   약

   medicine

   먹고 나서

   after taking it

   가벼운

   mild

   두통

   headache

   있었어요

   had

   More detail

   그 means “that” here and identifies a specific medicine in the discourse; the fixed translation supports this with “it.” In Korean, 그 is a demonstrative placed before a noun: 그 약 means “that medicine.” Its form does not change for number or gender. 약 is the noun “medicine” or “medication.” 그 약 is therefore “that medicine.” Example: 약을 먹어요. — “I take medicine.” The particle 을 marks 약 as the object of 먹어요. 먹고 나서 expresses “after taking/eating.” The base form is 먹다 (“to eat; to take [medicine]”); 먹고 uses the connective ending -고, and 나서 adds the meaning “after doing that.” Together, 먹고 나서 means “after taking it,” with the object understood from 그 약. Example: 밥을 먹고 나서 약을 먹어요. — “I take medicine after eating.” 가벼운 means “mild” here, describing the intensity of the headache. It is the attributive form of 가볍다 (“to be light”), changing to 가벼운 before a noun. In this sentence it does not mean physically lightweight. Example: 가벼운 감기였어요. — “It was a mild cold.” 두통 is the noun “headache.” 가벼운 두통 means “a mild headache.” Example: 두통이 있어요. — “I have a headache.” The particle 이 marks 두통 as the subject of the existence/experience expression. 있었어요 is the polite past form of 있다, meaning “existed,” “was present,” or, with a symptom, “there was” or “I had.” Here it states that the headache was present in the past. 있어요 is present polite, while 있었어요 is past polite. Example: 어제 두통이 있었어요. — “I had a headache yesterday.” Putting the parts together, 그 약 identifies the medicine, 먹고 나서 places the headache after taking it, and 가벼운 두통이 있었어요 says that a mild headache was present. The complete meaning is: “I had a mild headache after taking it.”

6. 그럼 그 이야기도 해야겠어요.

   So I should bring that up.

   그럼

   so; then

   그

   that

   이야기

   story; topic

   해야겠어요

   I should do it

   More detail

   그럼 means “so” or “then” here. It is a common shortened form of 그러면 (“if so; then”) and connects this sentence to what was just said. It is a discourse connector, not part of the noun phrase that follows. 그 means “that” when it modifies a noun. Korean 그 does not change for gender or grammatical number. It points to a referent identifiable from the situation or context; here, the fixed translation presents it as a topic to bring up, without identifying that topic more specifically. 이야기 is a noun meaning “story,” “talk,” or “topic.” In this sentence, the translation selects the “topic” or “matter” sense rather than a literal story. 이야기 can also refer to a conversation or something someone has said. The particle 도, attached in 이야기도 but not included in the selected quote, adds “too” or “as well.” 해야겠어요 expresses that the speaker thinks they should do something or has decided it is necessary. It comes from 하다 (“to do”) in the pattern -아/어야 하다 (“have to; must”), with the polite ending -겠어요; the surface form 해야 reflects the -아/어야 form of 하다. In 해야겠어요, -겠어요 contributes the speaker’s judgment or intention, so the natural meaning here is “I should do it,” not simply a neutral statement of obligation. A reusable pattern is V-아/어야겠어요, meaning “I should V” or “I’d better V.” For example, 확인해야겠어요. means “I should check.” Together, 그 이야기 means “that topic,” and 그 이야기도 means “that topic too.” 그럼 links this thought to the preceding context, while 해야겠어요 says that the speaker should bring it up. The whole utterance therefore means “So I should bring that up.”

7. 부작용일 수 있는지, 그리고 어떤 경고 신호를 주의해야 하는지 물어보세요.

   Ask whether it could be a side effect and what warning signs to watch for.

   부작용

   side effect

   일 수 있는지

   whether it could be

   어떤

   what kind of; which

   경고 신호

   warning signs

   주의해야 하는지

   whether one must pay attention

   물어보세요

   please ask

   More detail

   부작용 means “side effect” here. It is a noun, so it can be used with forms such as 부작용이 있다 (“there is a side effect”) or 부작용을 확인하다 (“check for a side effect”). Example: 이 증상은 약의 부작용일 수 있어요. — “This symptom could be a side effect of the medicine.” 일 수 있는지 expresses “whether it could be.” With a noun, the useful pattern is N일 수 있다 (“N can be / could be N”): 부작용이다 combines with -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 to give 부작용일 수 있다. The ending -는지 turns this clause into an indirect question: N일 수 있는지 (“whether it could be N”). Here, 일 belongs to the copula construction; it is not the noun 일 meaning “work” or “matter.” 어떤 asks which one or what kind. It comes before the noun it specifies, as in 어떤 증상 (“which symptom / what kind of symptom”). It leaves the choice of item open rather than identifying one particular item. 경고 신호 means “warning signs.” 경고 describes a warning, and 신호 is a sign or signal; together they form a noun phrase. The plural meaning comes from the context rather than from a special plural ending in this phrase. Example: 이런 경고 신호가 있으면 알려 주세요. — “If there are warning signs like these, please let me know.” 주의해야 하는지 contains 주의하다, meaning “to pay attention” or “to be careful,” and the necessity pattern -아/어야 하다, meaning “must/should.” Specifically, 주의하다 becomes 주의해야 before 하다; then 하는지 makes the resulting question indirect. The quoted phrase by itself asks whether one must pay attention. With the preceding object 어떤 경고 신호를, the whole part means “which warning signs one should watch for.” Example: 어떤 증상을 주의해야 하는지 물어보세요. — “Ask which symptoms you should watch for.” 물어보세요 means “please ask.” Its base verb is 물어보다, a common combination of 묻다 (“ask”) and 보다 (“try” or “see”), used here as “ask” or “try asking.” In 물어보다, 묻다 changes to 물어 before the vowel-initial ending. The ending -세요 makes this a polite request or instruction. It does not itself specify who should ask beyond the understood addressee. Together, 부작용일 수 있는지 asks whether the relevant thing could be a side effect, and 어떤 경고 신호를 주의해야 하는지 asks which warning signs one should watch for. These two indirect-question clauses are coordinated by 그리고 (“and”) and are the content of 물어보세요: “Ask whether it could be a side effect and what warning signs to watch for.”

8. 특히 약에 대해서는 추측하는 것이 위험하게 느껴져요.

   Guessing feels risky, especially with medicine.

   특히

   especially

   약

   medicine

   에 대해서는

   regarding; as for

   추측하는 것

   guessing

   위험하게

   riskily; dangerously

   느껴져요

   feels

   More detail

   특히 comes first and adds focused emphasis: “especially.” It highlights the medicine-related case rather than changing the basic meaning of the sentence. Example: 특히 겨울에는 추워요. — “It is cold, especially in winter.” 약 is the noun for medicine or a drug. In this sentence, the fixed translation establishes the intended meaning “medicine.” It can be combined with particles like 약을 (“medicine” as an object) or 약에 (“to/about medicine,” depending on the following construction). 에 대해서는 is the reusable pattern N에 대해서 (“about/regarding N”) plus the topic particle 는. Here it sets medicine as the specifically highlighted topic: “as for medicine” or “when it comes to medicine.” The 는 adds topic focus; it does not state a numerical quantity. Example: 이 문제에 대해서는 전문가에게 물어보세요. — “For this issue, ask a professional.” 추측하는 것 turns an action into a noun-like subject. 추측하다 means “to guess” or “to speculate”; its form 추측하는 is the present attributive form of 하다, and 것 refers to the act or matter of doing it. Thus V-는 것 is a useful way to express “doing V” or “the act of V.” Example: 혼자 추측하는 것은 도움이 되지 않아요. — “Guessing alone is not helpful.” 위험하게 comes from the descriptive adjective 위험하다, “to be dangerous/risky,” with the adverbial ending -게. Before 느껴져요, it describes how the situation is perceived, so the natural result is “feels risky” rather than simply “dangerously.” Example: 그 방법은 위험하게 느껴져요. — “That method feels risky.” 느껴져요 is the polite present form of 느껴지다, meaning “to feel” or “to seem” from the perspective of perception. It presents something as having a perceived quality, whereas 느끼다 is the related verb used for actively feeling or sensing something. Example: 이 설명은 이해하기 쉽게 느껴져요. — “This explanation feels easy to understand.” Together, the highlighted topic 약에 대해서는 identifies the medicine-related case, while 추측하는 것 is the subject of the perception. 위험하게 느껴져요 says that this act is perceived as risky, and 특히 gives that case extra emphasis. The complete meaning is: “Guessing feels risky, especially with medicine.”

9. 전문가가 위험을 더 명확하게 설명해 줄 수 있어요.

   A professional can explain the risks more clearly.

   전문가

   professional; expert

   위험

   risk; danger

   더

   more

   명확하게

   clearly

   설명해

   explain

   줄 수 있어요

   can do it for someone

   More detail

   전문가 means “professional” or “expert.” It is a noun, and 전문가가 marks it as the subject with 가. Here, the professional is the person who can explain. 위험 means “risk” or “danger.” In 위험을, the particle 을 marks it as the object of the explanation. Korean uses this noun for risk in general; the translation’s “risks” identifies the intended topic here. 더 means “more.” It raises the degree of the following description: 더 명확하게 means “more clearly.” 명확하게 means “clearly.” It is the adverbial form of 명확하다 (“to be clear”). The ending -하게 lets this descriptive word modify the action 설명하다 (“to explain”). 설명해 comes from 설명하다, “to explain.” The -하다 verb changes to the 해 form here because it connects to the following construction. The useful pattern is N을 설명하다, “to explain N.” For example, 선생님이 규칙을 설명해요. means “The teacher explains the rule.” 줄 수 있어요 is part of the polite ability construction -아/어 줄 수 있다. 설명해 줄 수 있어요 means “can explain,” and 주다 can add the sense that the action is done for someone or to their benefit. 수 있다 expresses possibility or ability, while 있어요 is its polite present form. In this sentence, the subject of 줄 is understood to be the preceding 전문가가, so the professional is the one able to do the explaining. Together, 전문가가 위험을 더 명확하게 설명해 줄 수 있어요 means “A professional can explain the risks more clearly.” The structure is: 전문가가 (subject) + 위험을 (object) + 더 명확하게 (degree and manner) + 설명해 줄 수 있어요 (can explain, with the benefactive construction).

10. 전화하기 전에 질문을 적어 둘 수 있어요.

    I can write down the questions before calling.

    전화하기 전에

    before calling

    질문

    question(s)

    적어 둘

    write down for later

    수 있어요

    can

    More detail

    전화하기 전에 means “before calling.” 전화하다 is “to call”; here it appears as 전화하기, with -기 turning the action into a form that can be followed by 전에 (“before”). The pattern V-기 전에 is reusable: 자기 전에 책을 읽어요 means “I read a book before going to bed.” 질문 means “question” or “questions.” The following particle 을 marks it as the object of the action. Korean nouns do not normally change form for singular versus plural, so the context and translation support “questions” here without changing 질문 itself. 적어 둘 means “write down for later.” The base verb is 적다, “to write,” and 적어 두다 combines writing with 두다, “to leave/keep,” emphasizing that the written result is kept for later use. In this sentence, 적어 둘 is the form required before 수 있어요: V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility. For example, 메모해 둘 수 있어요 means “I can make a note and keep it for later.” 수 있어요 is the polite present form of the pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다, “can” or “be able to.” The ability construction applies to the preceding verb phrase, so 적어 둘 수 있어요 means “can write down and keep [them].” Together, 전화하기 전에 sets the time, 질문을 identifies what is written, and 적어 둘 수 있어요 expresses the ability to keep the written questions for later. The whole utterance means: “I can write down the questions before calling.”

11. 그러면 통화 내용을 더 쉽게 따라갈 수 있을 거예요.

    That should make the call easier to follow.

    그러면

    then; in that case

    통화

    call

    내용

    content

    더 쉽게

    more easily

    따라갈

    follow

    수 있을 거예요

    should be able to

    More detail

    그러면 links this sentence to the preceding situation and means “then” or “in that case.” It presents the following result as depending on what was just mentioned. In this context, the previous action—writing down questions before calling—provides that condition. 통화 means a telephone call or phone conversation. 내용 means the content or substance of something. Together, 통화 내용 means “the content of the call,” or more naturally in this sentence, “what is said in the call.” Korean commonly places a noun modifier before the noun it describes: 통화 내용 = “call content.” 더 쉽게 expresses “more easily.” 쉽게 is the adverbial form of 쉽다, “to be easy”; 더 adds comparison, so 더 쉽게 means “more easily” than before or than under another condition. For example, 이 설명을 더 쉽게 이해할 수 있어요 means “You can understand this explanation more easily.” 따라갈 is the form of 따라가다, “to follow” or “to keep up with.” Here it is used with 수 있다 to say that the listener can follow the content, rather than physically following a person. The ending -ㄹ in 따라갈 connects the verb to 수, as in the reusable pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 = “can/is able to do.” 수 있을 거예요 completes the ability-and-expectation pattern. 수 있다 means “can” or “be able to,” while -을 거예요 presents the situation as expected or likely; after 있다, this appears as 있을 거예요. Thus 따라갈 수 있을 거예요 means “will probably be able to follow” or, naturally here, “should be able to follow.” The subject is omitted in Korean and is understood from the situation rather than stated in this sentence. Putting the chunks together, 그러면 sets up the result, 통화 내용 identifies what is being followed, 더 쉽게 describes the improved manner, and 따라갈 수 있을 거예요 says that following it should be possible. The whole utterance means: “Then, you should be able to follow the call more easily.”