Visiting a veterinarian in Korea (동물병원) can be a bit nerve-wracking when you’re not confident in your Korean. Whether you’re taking your dog for a check-up, your cat needs vaccinations, or you’re adopting a pet, knowing the right Korean animal care vocabulary makes everything smoother and safer for your furry friend.

In this guide, you’ll learn: ✅ Essential vet and animal hospital vocabulary
✅ Useful pet care phrases in Korean
✅ How to describe your pet’s symptoms
✅ Pronunciation guides to help you speak clearly

Let’s dive into this vocabulary list that every Korean-speaking pet owner should know!

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🏥 Basic Vet Clinic Vocabulary in Korean

Korean	Pronunciation	English
동물병원	dong-mul-byeong-won	Animal hospital / veterinary clinic
수의사	su-ui-sa	Veterinarian
간호사	gan-ho-sa	Nurse
진료	jin-ryo	Medical treatment
검사	geom-sa	Test, examination
주사	ju-sa	Injection
수술	su-sul	Surgery
입원	ip-won	Hospitalization
퇴원	toe-won	Discharge (from hospital)
예방접종	ye-bang-jeop-jong	Vaccination
중성화 수술	jung-seong-hwa su-sul	Neutering / Spaying
마취	ma-chwi	Anesthesia
응급실	eung-geup-sil	Emergency room

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🐾 Pet-Related Words in Korean

Korean	Pronunciation	English
반려동물	ban-ryeo-dong-mul	Companion animal, pet
애완동물	ae-wan-dong-mul	Pet (older term)
강아지	gang-a-ji	Puppy, dog
고양이	go-yang-i	Cat
토끼	tok-ki	Rabbit
새	sae	Bird
햄스터	haem-seu-teo	Hamster
거북이	geo-buk-i	Turtle
이름표	i-reum-pyo	Name tag
목줄	mok-jul	Leash
사료	sa-ryo	Pet food
간식	gan-sik	Treat, snack
배변패드	bae-byeon-pae-deu	Pee pad
장난감	jang-nan-gam	Toy

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🩺 Describing Symptoms in Korean

Korean	Pronunciation	English
아파요	a-pa-yo	(They’re) sick / hurt
토했어요	to-hae-sseo-yo	(They) vomited
설사해요	seol-sa-hae-yo	(They) have diarrhea
기운이 없어요	gi-un-i eop-seo-yo	They have no energy
잘 안 먹어요	jal an meok-eo-yo	They’re not eating well
열이 있어요	yeol-i i-sseo-yo	They have a fever
기침해요	gi-chim-hae-yo	They’re coughing
긁어요	geul-geo-yo	They’re scratching
피부에 문제가 있어요	pi-bu-e mun-je-ga i-sseo-yo	There’s a skin problem
상처가 있어요	sang-cheo-ga i-sseo-yo	There’s a wound

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💬 Useful Phrases for Visiting a Vet in Korea

Korean	Pronunciation	English
진료 예약하고 싶어요.	jin-ryo ye-yak-ha-go si-peo-yo	I’d like to make an appointment.
우리 강아지가 아파요.	u-ri gang-a-ji-ga a-pa-yo	My dog is sick.
예방접종 하러 왔어요.	ye-bang-jeop-jong ha-reo wa-sseo-yo	I came for vaccinations.
중성화 수술을 하고 싶어요.	jung-seong-hwa su-sul-eul ha-go si-peo-yo	I want to get them neutered/spayed.
피가 나요.	pi-ga na-yo	They’re bleeding.
오늘 아침부터 안 먹어요.	o-neul a-chim-bu-teo an meok-eo-yo	They haven’t eaten since this morning.
무슨 병인가요?	mu-seun byeong-in-ga-yo?	What illness do they have?
약은 언제 먹여야 해요?	yak-eun eon-je meog-yeo-ya hae-yo?	When should I give the medicine?
이건 응급 상황이에요.	i-geon eung-geup sang-hwang-i-e-yo	This is an emergency.

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📚 BONUS: Pet Care Expressions

Korean	Pronunciation	English
매일 산책해요.	mae-il san-chaek-hae-yo	I walk them every day.
목욕시켜요.	mok-yok-si-kyeo-yo	I give them a bath.
혼자 두면 불안해요.	hon-ja du-myeon bul-an-hae-yo	They get anxious when left alone.
병원은 무서워해요.	byeong-won-eun mu-seo-wo-hae-yo	They’re afraid of the hospital.

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🧠 Practice Time!

Comment your answers below to test your memory!
1️⃣ What’s the Korean word for veterinarian?
2️⃣ How do you say “My cat is sick” in Korean?
3️⃣ What phrase would you use to ask for an appointment at the vet?

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🔥 Want to Learn More Korean?

Check out more vocabulary guides:

🔹 Korean Pharmacy Vocabulary
🔹 Korean University Vocabulary
🔹 Korean Holidays Vocabulary

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