Explanation at your level:
You use 감기 when you are sick. If you have a runny nose, you say 'I have a cold.' In Korean, say '감기에 걸렸어요.' It is very easy to use!
When you feel sick, you can say '감기 기운이 있어요' which means 'I feel like I am catching a cold.' It is a very common phrase to use when you are not feeling 100%.
Understanding the nuance of 감기 helps you communicate health issues clearly. You might say '감기가 심해서 학교에 못 가요' (My cold is so bad that I cannot go to school). It is the standard way to express minor illness.
Beyond just the illness, 감기 is used in various social contexts. You might hear people warn others not to 'catch' a cold during seasonal changes. It is a staple of everyday polite conversation in Korea.
While 감기 is a simple word, its usage reflects cultural attitudes toward health. It is often used to excuse oneself from social obligations. Understanding the social weight of mentioning a cold is key to advanced fluency.
The term 감기 is deeply embedded in the Korean lexicon. From traditional medicine perspectives to modern clinical settings, it remains the primary descriptor for viral upper respiratory infections, showing the evolution of language alongside medical understanding.
Mot en 30 secondes
- Common word for cold.
- Always use with 걸리다.
- Not the same as flu.
- Very useful for daily life.
감기 (gam-gi) is the standard Korean word for the common cold. It is a very frequent term used in daily life to describe that feeling when you have a runny nose, a bit of a cough, or a mild fever.
Think of it as the go-to word for any minor respiratory infection. Whether you are talking to a doctor or just telling a friend why you are staying home, 감기 is the word you need. It is not usually used for serious diseases, just the common sniffles we all get from time to time.
The word 감기 is a Sino-Korean term. It is composed of the Hanja characters 感 (feeling/sense) and 氣 (energy/air). Literally, it translates to 'feeling the air' or 'being affected by the air.'
Historically, people believed that catching a cold was directly caused by being exposed to cold air or changes in the weather. While we now know it is caused by viruses, the name has stuck for centuries. It reflects an ancient understanding of health where the body's internal energy was thought to be disrupted by external environmental factors.
In Korean, you don't usually 'catch' a cold with a verb like 'grab'; instead, you use the verb 걸리다 (to be caught/to take). So, you say 감기에 걸리다 (to have a cold).
You can also use adjectives to describe the severity. For example, 심한 감기 means a 'bad cold.' It is a neutral term used in almost every social register, from speaking to your boss to chatting with your best friend.
1. 감기는 약도 없다: Literally 'there is no medicine for a cold,' implying some things in life just have to run their course. 2. 감기 기운이 있다: To feel like a cold is coming on. 3. 감기를 달고 살다: To have a cold constantly. 4. 감기가 떨어지다: For a cold to finally go away. 5. 감기를 옮기다: To give a cold to someone else.
감기 is a simple noun and does not change form. In terms of pronunciation, the 'g' sounds are soft. It is pronounced as 'gam-gi' with a steady, even rhythm.
It is often used with particles like -가 (subject) or -를 (object). Because it is a non-count noun in a sense, you don't need plural markers. It is a very straightforward word for learners to master.
Fun Fact
It reflects the traditional view that colds were caused by 'bad air'.
Pronunciation Guide
Soft g sounds, clear vowel sounds.
Consistent with Korean phonetic rules.
Common Errors
- Mispronouncing the 'g' as a hard 'k'
- Dropping the final 'i' sound
- Incorrect pitch accent
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Very easy to read
Easy to write
Easy to pronounce
Easy to hear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Avanc
Grammar to Know
Particles (-에)
감기에 걸리다
Verb conjugation
걸렸어요
Noun modifiers
심한 감기
Examples by Level
감기에 걸렸어요.
I caught a cold.
Verb: 걸리다
감기 조심하세요.
Please be careful of colds.
Imperative
감기약 먹었어요?
Did you take cold medicine?
Question
감기가 심해요.
The cold is bad.
Adjective
이것은 감기인가요?
Is this a cold?
Question
감기 때문에 힘들어요.
I am struggling because of the cold.
Reasoning
감기가 다 나았어요.
My cold is all better.
Past tense
감기 기운이 있어요.
I feel a cold coming.
Nuance
감기에 걸려서 학교에 못 갔어요.
요즘 감기가 유행이에요.
감기 예방을 위해 손을 씻으세요.
감기약은 어디에 있나요?
따뜻한 차를 마시면 감기에 좋아요.
감기가 빨리 나았으면 좋겠어요.
어제부터 감기 기운이 있었어요.
감기 때문에 목이 아파요.
환절기에는 감기에 걸리기 쉬워요.
감기약을 먹었더니 좀 나아졌어요.
감기를 옮기지 않으려고 마스크를 썼어요.
심한 감기 때문에 며칠 쉬었습니다.
감기 증상이 있으면 병원에 가세요.
감기 기운이 있어서 일찍 자야겠어요.
감기를 달고 사는 것 같아요.
감기가 다 떨어져서 이제 괜찮아요.
감기 몸살로 고생하고 있습니다.
감기 기운이 있을 때는 무리하지 마세요.
감기 바이러스가 전염성이 강하네요.
감기약을 너무 많이 먹는 것도 좋지 않아요.
감기 때문에 중요한 약속을 취소했어요.
감기가 완전히 낫지 않아서 걱정이에요.
감기에 걸리지 않도록 건강 관리 잘하세요.
감기 증상이 완화되었습니다.
감기 기운이 역력해서 조퇴를 권했습니다.
감기라는 것이 사실은 면역력의 문제죠.
감기 증상을 완화하는 데에는 휴식이 최고입니다.
감기약을 복용하고 나서 졸음이 쏟아집니다.
감기 때문에 컨디션이 영 좋지 않네요.
감기 기운이 도는 것 같아 비타민을 챙겨 먹었습니다.
감기를 가볍게 여기면 큰 병이 될 수 있습니다.
감기 예방 수칙을 철저히 지키고 있습니다.
감기라는 질환은 인류와 오랫동안 함께해 왔습니다.
감기 기운이 도는 환절기에는 각별한 주의가 필요합니다.
감기 증상과 독감 증상은 엄연히 다릅니다.
감기를 대수롭지 않게 여기는 풍조가 만연합니다.
감기 바이러스의 변종은 끊임없이 나타납니다.
감기 기운을 떨쳐내기 위해 보양식을 찾았습니다.
감기약의 부작용을 간과해서는 안 됩니다.
감기라는 단어 속에 담긴 옛 사람들의 지혜를 봅니다.
Collocations courantes
Idioms & Expressions
"감기는 약도 없다"
Some problems have no simple solution.
그 사람 고집은 감기는 약도 없다는 말처럼 고치기 힘들다.
idiomatic"감기를 달고 살다"
To be frequently sick.
나는 겨울마다 감기를 달고 산다.
casual"감기가 떨어지다"
To recover from a cold.
약 먹고 푹 자니까 감기가 떨어졌다.
casual"감기 기운이 있다"
To feel the onset of a cold.
어제부터 감기 기운이 있어서 일찍 쉬었다.
neutral"감기를 옮기다"
To transmit a cold.
나한테 감기 옮기지 마!
casualEasily Confused
Both are illnesses
독감 is flu, much stronger
감기는 며칠이면 낫지만 독감은 오래갑니다.
Both involve feeling sick
몸살 is body ache/fatigue
감기 몸살은 둘 다 있는 상태입니다.
It is a symptom
기침 is just coughing
감기 때문에 기침이 나요.
It is a symptom
콧물 is runny nose
감기 걸려서 콧물이 나요.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 감기에 걸렸다
나는 감기에 걸렸다.
감기 때문에 + Verb
감기 때문에 못 가요.
감기 기운이 있다
감기 기운이 있어요.
감기가 낫다
감기가 다 나았어요.
감기를 달고 살다
그는 감기를 달고 산다.
Famille de mots
Nouns
Verbs
Apparenté
How to Use It
10
Formality Scale
Erreurs courantes
You don't 'eat' a cold in Korean; you 'catch' it.
While understandable, '걸리다' is the standard verb.
You need the particle -에 and the verb 걸리다.
It is redundant; 감기 already implies illness.
Need to connect the cold to the state of being sick.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Visualize your medicine cabinet labeled 'Gam-gi'.
When Native Speakers Use It
Use it when you feel slightly unwell.
Cultural Insight
Koreans often drink warm tea for colds.
Grammar Shortcut
Always pair it with 걸리다.
Say It Right
Keep the 'g' soft.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't use '먹다' (to eat).
Did You Know?
It comes from Sino-Korean roots.
Study Smart
Learn it with '걸리다' as a chunk.
Rhythm
It is a two-beat word.
Context
Use it to excuse absences.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Gam-gi sounds like 'gum-key' - imagine you have a cold and your keys are stuck in gum.
Visual Association
A person sneezing into a tissue with a thermometer in their mouth.
Word Web
Défi
Say '감기에 걸렸어요' to a friend.
Origine du mot
Sino-Korean
Original meaning: Feeling the air/energy
Contexte culturel
None, it is a universal experience.
Commonly referred to as 'the cold' or 'a cold'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At the doctor's office
- 감기에 걸렸어요
- 감기약을 처방해주세요
- 얼마나 걸릴까요?
With friends
- 감기 조심해
- 감기 걸렸어?
- 따뜻한 거 마셔
At school/work
- 감기 때문에 못 가요
- 감기 기운이 있어서 쉬고 싶어요
- 감기 옮기면 안 되니까...
At the pharmacy
- 감기약 있어요?
- 이거 감기에 좋은가요?
- 얼마예요?
Conversation Starters
"요즘 감기 유행이라던데 괜찮으세요?"
"감기 걸렸을 때 어떻게 하세요?"
"감기약 먹어봤어요?"
"환절기인데 감기 조심하세요!"
"감기 기운이 있을 때 먹는 음식이 있나요?"
Journal Prompts
Describe the last time you had a cold.
What do you do to prevent catching a cold?
Compare a cold to the flu.
How do you feel when you have a cold?
Questions fréquentes
8 questionsYes, it is a viral infection.
Technically no, flu is 독감.
감기에 걸렸어요.
Korean nouns don't have plural forms like English.
It is neutral and appropriate everywhere.
Cold medicine.
Viruses, usually when your immunity is low.
No, that is incorrect.
Teste-toi
저는 ___에 걸렸어요.
You catch a cold (감기).
What should you do if you have a cold?
Resting helps you recover.
감기 is a serious, life-threatening disease.
It is a minor viral infection.
Word
Signification
Matching terms to meanings.
Subject/Time + Object + Verb.
감기 ___이 있어요.
감기 기운 means feeling like a cold is coming.
Which verb is used with 감기?
감기에 걸리다 is the standard phrase.
감기 is a type of food.
It is an illness.
Word
Signification
Advanced collocations.
Idiomatic structure.
Score : /10
Summary
Remember to say '감기에 걸렸어요' to tell someone you have a cold!
- Common word for cold.
- Always use with 걸리다.
- Not the same as flu.
- Very useful for daily life.
Memory Palace Trick
Visualize your medicine cabinet labeled 'Gam-gi'.
When Native Speakers Use It
Use it when you feel slightly unwell.
Cultural Insight
Koreans often drink warm tea for colds.
Grammar Shortcut
Always pair it with 걸리다.
Exemple
감기에 걸려서 병원에 갔어요.
Related Content
Ce mot dans d'autres langues
Expressions liées
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누적되다
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급성이다
A2Having a rapid onset and short course; to be acute (illness).
