Learn Hardcore Korean: meoriga apayo.

In Korean, the subject of a sentence takes -가 (after a vowel) or -이 (after a consonant). Here, 머리 (“head”) is the subject experiencing pain, so we attach -가 to mark it as the subject of 아프다 (“to hurt”).

Why don’t we see “I” or “my” in this sentence? How do you say “my head hurts”?

Korean often omits pronouns when the meaning is clear from context. 머리가 아파요 literally means “the head hurts,” but contextually it implies “my head hurts.” If you want to be explicit, add a possessive pronoun:

제 머리가 아파요 (formal)
내 머리가 아파 (casual)

What is 아파요 and how does it relate to 아프다?

아프다 is the dictionary (base) form meaning “to hurt” or “to be in pain.” Conjugated into the polite present tense, it becomes 아파요. Thus, 머리가 아파요 means “the head hurts” in a polite style.

Can 아프다 be used for other body parts?

Yes. You can swap in any body part plus the appropriate subject particle. For example:

배가 아파요 (“my stomach hurts”)
무릎이 아파요 (“my knee hurts”)
치아가 아파요 (“my tooth hurts”)

In English we say “I have a headache.” Why does Korean say “head hurts”?

Different languages express sensations differently. English uses “have” for ailments (“I have a headache”), whereas Korean uses 아프다 (“to hurt”) with the body part as subject. Both convey the same idea, just with different grammatical structures.

Is 머리가 아파요 formal or casual?

아파요 is polite but not highly formal—think “Excuse me, my head hurts.” For more formality, you could say 머리가 아픕니다. Among close friends or family, you might drop 요 and say 머리 아파.

Can 아프다 be used figuratively, like saying “I’m fed up” or “This is a headache”?

Yes. You can use 머리 아프다 metaphorically to mean “This is giving me a headache” or “This situation is stressing me out.” It’s like saying “It’s bugging me” or “I’m really tired of this.”

How would you ask someone if their head hurts?

Turn it into a question form:

머리가 아파요? (“Does your head hurt?” polite)
머리가 아프세요? (more respectful)
머리 아파? (casual)