Describing Symptoms Objectively | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 불편감은 심하지 않지만 평소보다 오래 지속되고 있어요.

   The discomfort is mild, but it has lasted longer than usual.

   불편감

   discomfort

   심하지 않지만

   is not severe, but

   평소보다

   than usual

   오래

   for a long time

   지속되고 있어요

   is continuing

   More detail

   불편감 means “discomfort” here. It is a noun, so 불편감은 marks it as the topic with 은: “as for the discomfort.” The topic marker does not itself indicate whether the discomfort is mild or severe. 심하지 않지만 describes the discomfort as not severe and then contrasts that point with what follows. The adjective is 심하다 (“to be severe”); its negative form is 심하지 않다, and -지만 adds “but/although.” Example: 비싸지 않지만 좋아요. — “It is not expensive, but it is good.” 평소보다 means “than usual.” 평소 refers to a person’s or situation’s normal pattern, and 보다 here is a comparison marker, not the separate verb “to see.” The pattern A보다 B means “B more/less than A.” Example: 오늘은 평소보다 조용해요. — “Today is quieter than usual.” 오래 is the adverb “for a long time” or “long,” describing the duration of 지속되고 있어요. It can describe how long something continues: 오래 기다렸어요. — “I waited for a long time.” 지속되고 있어요 means that something is continuing or has been lasting. The base form is 지속되다 (“to continue,” “to last”); -고 있다 presents the situation as ongoing, and 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 in this construction. The form is not simply a past-tense statement that it ended; it presents the duration as continuing now. Example: 문제가 아직 지속되고 있어요. — “The problem is still continuing.” Together, 불편감은 심하지 않지만 says that the discomfort is not severe, while 평소보다 오래 지속되고 있어요 says that it is continuing for longer than the person’s usual pattern. Thus the whole utterance means: “The discomfort is mild, but it has lasted longer than usual.”

2. 활동을 하거나 쉬거나 식사를 하면 달라지나요?

   Does it change with activity, rest, or meals?

   활동

   activity

   하거나

   do or

   쉬거나

   rest or take a break

   식사

   meal

   하면

   if or when doing

   달라지나요?

   does it change?

   More detail

   활동 means “activity” here. It is a noun, and 활동을 하다 is the reusable expression “to do activity / be active,” with 을 marking 활동 as the object of 하다. Example: 활동을 많이 해요. — “I am active a lot.” 하거나 comes from 하다 plus -거나. -거나 links alternatives and means “or” after a verb: 하다 → 하거나, “do or.” In this sentence, it belongs with the preceding noun phrase: 활동을 하거나, “do activity or.” 쉬거나 comes from the verb 쉬다, “to rest,” plus -거나: 쉬다 → 쉬거나, “rest or.” The same ending makes this another alternative in the list. Example: 집에서 쉬거나 산책해요. — “I rest at home or take a walk.” 식사 is the noun “meal.” In the full phrase, 식사를 하다 means “to have a meal,” with 를 marking 식사 as the object of 하다; the supplied quote contains the noun itself, while the following 를 is visible in the sentence. 식사 can refer to eating a meal as an occasion, rather than to food in general. 하면 is 하다 plus -면, an ending meaning “if” or “when.” Thus 식사를 하면 means “if/when [someone] has a meal.” The ending does not itself specify whether the situation is hypothetical or routinely repeated; the context determines that reading. Example: 식사를 하면 약을 드세요. — “Take the medicine after you have a meal.” 달라지나요? is a polite present-tense question based on 달라지다, “to change” or “to become different.” The ending -나요? makes a soft question, so the form asks whether something changes. The subject is not stated in Korean; the fixed translation supplies it as “it,” without identifying a more specific referent in this sentence. Together, 활동을 하거나 쉬거나 식사를 하면 sets up three situations—being active, resting, or having a meal—using repeated -거나 for alternatives and -면 for the condition. 달라지나요? then asks whether the contextually understood “it” changes in those situations. The whole utterance means: “Does it change with activity, rest, or meals?”

3. 저는 오래 앉아 있으면 그 불편감이 더 잘 느껴져요.

   I notice it more when I sit for a long time.

   저는

   as for me; I

   오래

   for a long time

   앉아 있으면

   when I sit

   그

   that

   불편감

   discomfort

   더

   more

   잘

   well; easily

   느껴져요

   is noticed; feels noticeable

   More detail

   저는 combines 저, the polite/humble first-person pronoun “I,” with the topic marker 는. It sets the speaker as the topic. 저희 is a different first-person form meaning “we/us” in contexts where the speaker presents a group, so it should not replace 저 when the meaning is “I.” 오래 is an adverb meaning “for a long time” or “long.” It describes the duration of sitting here. Example: 오래 기다렸어요. — “I waited for a long time.” 앉아 있으면 comes from 앉다 “to sit” and the pattern -아/어 있다, which describes remaining in a state or position. 앉아 있다 therefore means “be sitting” or “remain seated.” The ending -으면 adds a condition or time relation: “if/when.” With the understood speaker as the subject, 오래 앉아 있으면 means “when I sit for a long time.” Example: 여기 앉아 있으면 편해요. — “When I sit here, I feel comfortable.” 그 is a demonstrative determiner meaning “that” or, in this context, “the previously identified.” It comes directly before the noun it modifies. Here 그 불편감 identifies the discomfort being discussed; 그 itself does not change for number or grammatical gender. 불편감 is a noun meaning “discomfort” or “an uncomfortable sensation.” The related adjective 불편하다 means “to be uncomfortable” or “to be inconvenient,” but 불편감 names the sensation itself. Example: 불편감이 있어요. — “There is some discomfort.” 더 is a comparative adverb meaning “more.” It indicates an increased degree relative to a baseline understood from the situation; the sentence does not specify a numerical amount. In this utterance, it contributes to “more noticeable.” 잘 commonly means “well,” but with perception verbs it can mean “clearly,” “readily,” or “easily.” Here it describes how noticeable the discomfort is, not how skillfully someone performs an action. The contrast 잘 못 느껴져요 means “it is not felt clearly/easily.” 느껴져요 is the polite present form of 느껴지다, “to be felt” or “to be noticeable.” It is related in meaning to 느끼다, “to feel/notice,” but the forms are not interchangeable: 느끼다 presents someone as feeling something, while 느껴지다 presents something as being perceived or felt. The form 느껴져요 results from the polite -어요 ending after 느껴지-. Here the discomfort is what becomes more noticeable, while 저는 marks the speaker as the topic and experiencer. Putting the parts together, 저는 오래 앉아 있으면 sets the speaker and the condition “when I sit for a long time.” 그 불편감 identifies the discomfort, and 더 잘 느껴져요 says that it is felt or noticed more clearly. The whole utterance means: “I notice it more when I sit for a long time.”

4. 그런 양상은 말씀해 주시는 게 좋고, 의료진이 제대로 평가할 수 있어요.

   That pattern is worth mentioning, and the clinician can assess it properly.

   그런

   such

   양상

   pattern

   말씀해 주시는

   mentioning or telling politely

   좋고

   is good, and…

   의료진

   clinician or medical staff

   제대로

   properly

   평가할

   assess

   수 있어요

   can

   More detail

   그런 modifies the following noun and means “such” or “of that kind.” It is the attributive form of 그렇다 (“to be so / to be like that”). Korean uses 그런 + noun, as in 그런 문제 (“such a problem”). 양상 means “pattern,” “aspect,” or “way something presents itself.” Here it refers to the pattern described in the surrounding discussion. It is a noun, so 그런 directly describes it: 그런 양상 = “that kind of pattern.” 말씀해 주시는 is a polite, honorific way to express telling or mentioning something for the benefit of the listener. The form contains 말씀하다 (“to say/tell” in honorific vocabulary), -어 주시다 (“do it for someone,” with honorific -시-), and -는, which makes the verb phrase modify the following nominalized expression. The omitted subject is not specified by the sentence; the fixed meaning presents the pattern as something worth mentioning rather than identifying the speaker explicitly. A reusable pattern is V-아/어 주시는 게 좋다 = “it is good if someone does V for [the relevant person].” 좋고 is the connective form of 좋다 (“to be good”). In V-는 게 좋고, the first clause says that doing V is good, and -고 links it to the next clause: “it is good to mention it, and …” The following clause supplies the second coordinated idea. 의료진 means “medical staff” or “the clinical team.” With the subject marker -이, 의료진이 is the subject of the following ability expression. Korean collective nouns can refer to a team as one grammatical participant; the word itself does not specify how many individual clinicians are involved. 제대로 means “properly” or “correctly.” It is an adverb, so it modifies the action 평가할 수 있어요, indicating that the assessment can be carried out appropriately. 평가할 is the future/prospective attributive form of 평가하다 (“to assess” or “evaluate”). In 평가할 수 있다, -ㄹ links the verb to 수, producing the pattern V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 for ability or possibility: “can assess.” The form is not a past-tense form; it presents the assessment as possible. For example, 의사가 상태를 평가할 수 있어요 means “The doctor can assess the condition.” 수 있어요 completes 평가할 수 있어요. 수 is a dependent noun meaning an available way or possibility, and 있어요 says that such a possibility exists. Together with 평가할, it means “can assess.” The polite ending -어요 makes the statement conversationally polite. Putting the parts together, 그런 양상은 말씀해 주시는 게 좋고 presents mentioning that pattern as advisable, while 의료진이 제대로 평가할 수 있어요 says that the medical staff can assess it properly. The complete utterance therefore means: “That pattern is worth mentioning, and the clinician can assess it properly.”

5. 저는 실제보다 더 심각하거나 덜 심각하게 들리지 않도록 설명하려고 해요.

   I am trying to describe it without making it sound worse or less serious than it is.

   저는

   as for me; I

   실제보다

   than reality

   더 심각하거나

   more serious or

   덜 심각하게

   less seriously

   들리지 않도록

   so it does not sound

   설명하려고 해요

   am trying to explain

   More detail

   저는 marks the speaker as the topic: “as for me” or simply “I” here. 저 is the humble first-person pronoun; 는 is a topic marker. A useful contrast is 제가, which commonly marks “I” as the subject when the sentence focuses on who performs an action. The exact choice depends on the sentence’s information structure, not just on the English word “I.” 실제보다 means “than reality” or, naturally here, “than it really is.” 보다 follows the comparison standard: A보다 B means “B compared with A” or “B than A.” For example, 생각보다 쉬워요 means “It is easier than I thought.” In this sentence, the comparison is with the actual seriousness, while the omitted subject of that comparison is understood from the fixed meaning. 더 심각하거나 contains 더 심각하다, “to be more serious,” followed by -거나, which connects alternatives: “or.” 심각하다 is the base form; 더 심각하다 adds 더, “more.” The form 심각하거나 is the connective form used before the alternative. For example, 더 크거나 더 작아요 means “It is bigger or smaller.” 덜 심각하게 means “less seriously” in this sentence. 덜 means “less,” and it modifies 심각하게, the adverbial form of 심각하다 (심각하다 → 심각하게). The adverbial form describes how something sounds: 심각하게 들리다 means “to sound serious.” The contrast is 더 심각하게 (“more seriously”) versus 덜 심각하게 (“less seriously”); these are not forms of the noun but degree expressions modifying the description. 들리지 않도록 expresses “so that it does not sound” or “in order not to sound.” 들리다 means “to sound” or “to be heard,” and -지 않다 makes the predicate negative: 들리지 않다, “not sound.” -도록 marks the intended result or purpose. For example, 잘 들리도록 크게 말해요 means “Speak loudly so that it can be heard well.” Here the negative form applies to both alternatives: the description should not make the subject sound either more serious or less serious than reality. 설명하려고 해요 means “am trying to explain.” It is built from 설명하다, “to explain,” plus -(으)려고 하다, a pattern for intending or trying to do something. With 설명하다, this becomes 설명하려고 하다; the polite present ending gives 설명하려고 해요. For example, 쉽게 설명하려고 해요 means “I am trying to explain it simply.” This pattern presents an intention or effort, rather than asserting that the explanation has already succeeded. Together, 더 심각하거나 덜 심각하게 들리지 않도록 means “so that it does not sound more serious or less serious,” with 실제보다 supplying the comparison standard “than it really is.” The final 설명하려고 해요 says that the speaker is trying to explain in that way. Thus the whole utterance means: “I am trying to describe it without making it sound more serious or less serious than it really is.”

6. 얼마나 자주 나타나는지와 본인에게 어떤 영향을 미치는지에 집중해 보세요.

   Focus on how often it happens and how it affects you.

   얼마나 자주

   how often

   나타나는지

   occurs

   본인에게

   to you

   어떤

   what kind of / which

   영향

   effect

   미치는지

   has an effect on

   집중해 보세요

   try focusing

   More detail

   얼마나 자주 asks about frequency: 얼마나 means “how much/how,” and 자주 means “often.” Together, the pattern 얼마나 자주 + verb means “how often someone or something does something.” Example: 얼마나 자주 운동해요? — “How often do you exercise?” 나타나는지 comes from 나타나다, “to appear” or “to occur,” followed by -는지. Here, 나타나다 means that the issue or symptom occurs, and -는지 makes the clause an embedded question: “how often it occurs.” The form 나타나는지 does not itself specify who or what the referent is; that is supplied by the context. 본인에게 means “to you” in this sentence. 본인 is a formal way to refer to the person concerned, and -에게 marks the person affected by something or the recipient of an action. In other contexts, 본인 can mean “oneself” or “the person in question,” so its exact English rendering depends on the situation. 어떤 means “what kind of” or “which,” and it appears before a noun. Unlike a question word used alone, 어떤 must modify a following noun, as in 어떤 문제 (“what kind of problem”). 영향 means “effect” or “impact.” The useful pattern is 영향을 미치다, literally “to exert an effect,” meaning “to affect.” In this pattern, 영향 takes the object marker -을 before 미치다. 미치는지 is 미치다 (“to affect” in this construction) plus -는지. The verb 미치다 can have other meanings in other contexts, including “to reach,” but in 영향을 미치다 it means “to have an effect on.” Here, 미치는지 forms the embedded question “what effect it has.” 집중해 보세요 combines 집중하다, “to focus,” with 보다 in the auxiliary pattern -아/어 보다, which adds the meaning “try doing.” -세요 makes the expression a polite request or suggestion. Thus, 집중해 보세요 means “try focusing,” rather than simply “focus” as a neutral dictionary form. The two embedded questions are coordinated with -와: 얼마나 자주 나타나는지 (“how often it occurs”) and 본인에게 어떤 영향을 미치는지 (“what effect it has on you”). The final request 집중해 보세요 applies to both parts. Together, the sentence means: “Focus on how often it happens and how it affects you.”

7. 저는 업무 중에 집중하기가 더 어려워진다고 설명할 수 있어요.

   I can explain that it makes it harder to concentrate at work.

   저는

   as for me; I

   업무

   work; work duties

   중에

   during; in the middle of

   집중하기가

   concentrating

   더

   more

   어려워진

   becoming difficult

   설명할

   explain

   수 있어요

   can

   More detail

   저는 marks 저 (“I”) as the topic with 는. 저 is the polite or humble first-person pronoun, contrasting with the plainer 나 in contexts where that distinction matters. 업무 means work or work duties. In 업무 중에, 중 means “during” or “in the middle of,” and 에 marks the relevant time or situation. Example: 수업 중에 질문했어요. — “I asked a question during class.” 집중하기가 comes from 집중하다 (“to concentrate”) plus -기, which turns the action into a noun-like expression, and 가, which marks it as the subject of the following description. Thus, the sentence describes concentrating as the activity that becomes more difficult. Example: 아침에는 일찍 일어나기가 어려워요. — “Getting up early is difficult in the morning.” 더 means “more” or “to a greater degree.” It compares the difficulty with an understood baseline, without specifying that baseline. 어려워진 comes from 어렵다 (“to be difficult”) through 어려워지다 (“to become difficult”). In this sentence, 어려워진다고 is the reported form of 어려워진다: 어려워지다 takes the present declarative ending -ㄴ다, followed by 고 for reported content. Here 어려워진 is therefore not a form modifying a following noun; it is part of the reported clause. The -어지다 pattern highlights a change into a state: 어렵다 describes difficulty, while 어려워지다 describes becoming difficult. 설명할 is the -ㄹ form of 설명하다 (“to explain”). With 수 있다, the pattern 동사-ㄹ/을 수 있다 expresses ability or possibility. Example: 이유를 설명할 수 있어요. — “I can explain the reason.” 수 있어요 completes that ability pattern. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다 (“to exist; to be possible”), and in -ㄹ/을 수 있어요 the whole construction means “can” or “be able to.” Together, 업무 중에 집중하기가 더 어려워진다고 gives the content being explained: that concentrating during work becomes more difficult. 저는 makes the speaker the topic, and 설명할 수 있어요 says that the speaker can explain it. The whole utterance means: “I can explain that it makes it harder to concentrate at work.”

8. 일상생활에 미치는 영향이 추후 진료 방향을 정하는 데 도움이 되는 경우가 많으니, 그 내용도 포함해 주세요.

   Include that detail, since daily impact often guides follow-up.

   일상생활

   daily life

   미치는

   affecting

   영향

   impact

   추후

   later; follow-up

   진료

   medical care

   방향

   direction; plan

   정하는

   deciding

   도움이 되는

   being helpful

   경우가 많으니

   often the case, so

   내용

   content; detail

   포함해 주세요

   please include

   More detail

   일상생활 means everyday life or daily life. With -에, as in 일상생활에, it marks the area affected: “in daily life” or “with respect to daily life.” The compound 일상생활에 미치는 영향 is therefore “the impact on daily life.” 미치는 comes from 미치다, “to affect” in this sentence. The ending -는 makes a present/general modifier before a noun, so 미치는 영향 means “the impact that affects...” rather than treating 미치는 as a standalone noun. 미치다 can have other senses in other contexts, but here the intended sense is “affect.” 영향 means impact or influence. 영향이 marks it as the subject of the following clause: the impact on daily life is what is helpful. A useful pattern is A에 미치는 영향, “the impact of/on A.” 추후 means later or at a subsequent stage. It is relatively formal and is especially natural in administrative or medical contexts. Here it contributes to 추후 진료, meaning later or follow-up medical care. 진료 refers to medical examination, consultation, or treatment provided by a medical professional. 방향 means direction or course; in 진료 방향, it refers to the course or plan of medical care, not a physical direction. 정하는 comes from 정하다, “to decide, determine, or set.” Its -는 form modifies 데: 정하는 데 means “in determining” or “when deciding.” The pattern V-는 데 commonly presents an action as the setting or process in which something is useful. For example, 계획을 정하는 데 시간이 필요해요 means “Time is needed to decide the plan.” 도움이 되는 is the modifier form of 도움이 되다, literally “become/be of help,” and naturally “be helpful.” In this sentence, 도움이 되는 경우 means “cases in which it is helpful.” The useful pattern is V-는 데 도움이 되다, “help with doing V.” 경우가 많으니 combines 경우 (“case” or “instance”), 많다 (“be many”), and the connective ending -으니. Thus 경우가 많으니 means “since this is often the case” or “because this often happens.” The -으니 clause supplies the reason for the request that follows. 내용 means content or detail. With the surrounding words, 그 내용도 means “that detail as well”; 그 points to the relevant detail already established, and 도 adds the meaning “also/too.” 포함해 주세요 is a polite request based on 포함하다, “to include.” The pattern V-아/어 주세요 asks someone politely to do the action: 확인해 주세요 means “please check,” and 포함해 주세요 means “please include it.” Together, 일상생활에 미치는 영향 identifies the impact on daily life. That impact 추후 진료 방향을 정하는 데 도움이 되는 경우가 많으니—often helps in determining the course of later medical care—so the speaker asks that 그 내용도 포함해 주세요, “please include that detail as well.” The overall register is polite and relatively formal, suitable for a medical or administrative request.