10 Korean Phrases for the Pharmacy (약국) in Korea

Quick answer: A pharmacy in Korean is 약국 (yakguk), and the pharmacist is 약사님 (yaksanim). To buy something over the counter, just name it and add 주세요: 감기약 주세요 — "Cold medicine, please."

Korean pharmacies are everywhere — one on almost every busy corner, often clustered around clinics. The counter transaction is short, polite, and follows a script. The pharmacist asks what's wrong, hands you small paper packets of pills, and tells you when to take them. If you know ten lines, you can walk in with a sore throat and walk out in two minutes.

Everything below is in 해요체 (the polite everyday style), which is exactly right at a pharmacy counter.

1. 근처에 약국 있어요?

근처에 약국 있어요? — "Is there a pharmacy near here?"

The most useful line before you need any of the others. 근처에 means "nearby," and dropping 이/가 after 약국 is completely normal in speech. Ask this of a convenience store clerk or anyone on the street — pharmacies are so common that the answer is usually a point of the finger and 저기 저 건물에 있어요 ("over there, in that building").

2. 어디가 불편하세요?

어디가 불편하세요? — "What's bothering you?" (literally "where is uncomfortable?")

This is what the pharmacist says to you, not the other way around. It's gentler than 어디가 아프세요? and is the standard opener behind the counter. You don't need a full sentence back — a body part plus 아파요 is plenty: 목이 아파요 ("my throat hurts"), 배가 아파요 ("my stomach hurts"), 머리가 아파요 ("I have a headache").

3. 감기약 주세요.

감기약 주세요. — "Cold medicine, please."

The core pattern: [medicine name] + 주세요. Swap in whatever you need — 소화제 주세요 (digestive medicine), 두통약 주세요 (headache medicine), 해열제 주세요 (fever reducer), 진통제 주세요 (painkiller). Notice that 약 (medicine) attaches straight onto the problem: 감기 (a cold) + 약 = 감기약. No space, no particle.

4. 처방전 있으세요?

처방전 있으세요? — "Do you have a prescription?"

처방전 is a prescription, and this is the first thing a pharmacist asks if you walk in asking for something stronger. If you've just come from a clinic, hand it over and say 네, 여기요 ("yes, here you go"). If you haven't, the next phrase is the one you want.

5. 처방전 없이 살 수 있어요?

처방전 없이 살 수 있어요? — "Can I buy it without a prescription?"

없이 means "without," and -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 is the "can" ending. This is a polite, normal question, not a pushy one. For everyday things — a cold, a headache, indigestion, a scraped knee — the answer is usually yes. For anything that needs a doctor, you'll hear 병원 가셔야 돼요 ("you'll need to go to a clinic"), and in Korean 병원 covers small neighborhood clinics too, not just big hospitals.

6. 이틀 치 주세요.

이틀 치 주세요. — "Two days' worth, please."

Korean pharmacists dispense by the day, not by the box, and they'll often ask 며칠 치 드릴까요? ("how many days' worth shall I give you?"). 치 is a bound noun meaning "worth of," and it takes a space before it: 하루 치, 이틀 치, 3일 치. If you're just passing through and want the smallest amount, 하루 치만 주세요 ("just one day's worth, please") is perfectly natural. Counting things in Korean has its own rules — see which counter goes with what if 하루 and 이틀 feel slippery.

7. 하루 세 번, 식후에 드세요.

하루 세 번, 식후에 드세요. — "Take it three times a day, after meals."

This is the sentence you'll hear as the packets slide across the counter. 하루 세 번 = three times a day. 식후 = after a meal; 식전 = before a meal. You'll often hear 식후 30분에 드세요 — "take it thirty minutes after eating." 드세요 is the honorific form of 먹다, which is why it doesn't sound like 먹으세요.

One nuance worth keeping: in Korean you eat medicine, not take it. 약을 먹어요 is correct even for a liquid. Saying 약을 마셔요 sounds like you're drinking it as a beverage.

8. 이 약 먹으면 졸려요?

이 약 먹으면 졸려요? — "Will this medicine make me sleepy?"

A very common question, because Korean cold medicine often does. The -(으)면 ending here means "if/when" — literally "if I eat this medicine, am I sleepy?" (more on how -(으)면 works). The pharmacist may warn you first: 졸릴 수 있어요. 운전하지 마세요 — "It can make you drowsy. Don't drive."

9. 바르는 약이에요? 먹는 약이에요?

바르는 약이에요? 먹는 약이에요? — "Is this one to apply, or to swallow?"

Korean uses a different verb for each kind of medicine, and mixing them up sounds odd. 연고 (ointment) is 발라요 (you spread it on). 파스 — those medicated patches for a stiff shoulder, sold in every pharmacy — is 붙여요 (you stick it on). Pills are 먹어요. So: 연고 바르세요, 파스 붙이세요, 약 드세요. For a cut, ask 밴드 있어요? ("do you have bandages?").

10. 며칠 지나도 안 나으면 병원 가 보세요.

며칠 지나도 안 나으면 병원 가 보세요. — "If it doesn't get better in a few days, go see a doctor."

Pharmacists say this a lot, and it's a kind sentence, not a brush-off. 낫다 means "to get better / to heal," and it's irregular: 안 나으면, 나았어요. If you want to say it back about yourself: 아직 안 나았어요 ("I'm still not better"). The 안 here is the standard negative — if that still trips you up, the difference between 안 and 못 is worth ten minutes.

A few things visitors should know

Pharmacies keep normal shop hours, so late at night many are closed. A small set of basic medicines — things like simple fever and cold remedies — is sold at some convenience stores for exactly that reason. If you want to ask, say 편의점에서도 살 수 있어요? ("Can I buy it at a convenience store too?").

And when you leave, the pharmacist will often say 빨리 나으세요 — "get well soon." The natural reply is 네, 감사합니다.

FAQ

How do you say "pharmacy" in Korean?

Pharmacy is 약국. The pharmacist is 약사, and you address them as 약사님 with the honorific -님. To ask where one is, say 근처에 약국 있어요? — "Is there a pharmacy nearby?"

How do you say "take medicine" in Korean?

Koreans say 약을 먹다 — literally "to eat medicine" — even when the medicine is a liquid. The polite form you'll hear from a pharmacist is 약 드세요 or 하루 세 번 드세요. Don't use 마시다; it makes the medicine sound like a drink.

Can I buy medicine in Korea without a prescription?

Everyday remedies — cold medicine, painkillers, digestive aids, ointments, bandages — are sold over the counter at any pharmacy; just say the name plus 주세요. Anything stronger needs a 처방전 (prescription) from a clinic. The phrase to ask is 처방전 없이 살 수 있어요?

Practice

Say these in Korean.

1. "Cold medicine, please."
2. "Can I buy it without a prescription?"
3. "Two days' worth, please."
4. "Will this medicine make me sleepy?"
5. You have a sore throat. Answer the pharmacist's 어디가 불편하세요?