Learn Hardcore Korean: yak meokgo swimyeon geumbang naa. - If you take medicine and rest, you’ll get better quickly.

Omitting object particles 을/를 is very common in casual speech, especially with frequent collocations. 약 먹고 sounds natural in conversation. The fully marked form is 약을 먹고.

What does the connector -고 in 먹고 do here?

-고 links actions, usually as “and (then).” 약 먹고 쉬면 means “take medicine and (then) rest.” It presents both actions as part of the condition. If you want to emphasize “after,” say 약 먹고 나서 쉬면 or 약을 먹은 뒤에 쉬면.

What exactly does -면 in 쉬면 mean—“if” or “when”?

-(으)면 marks a condition and can mean “if” or “when,” depending on context. Here, because it’s advice plus a prediction, it reads as “if (you) rest.”

Who is the subject? Why is it missing?

Korean often drops the subject when it’s clear. Here it’s typically “you” (the person being advised). It could also be “I” or “he/she” from context. To make it explicit:

네가 약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나아. (you; spelled 네가, pronounced [니가])
제가 약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나아요. (I)

What verb is 나아 from, and why does it look irregular?

It’s from 낫다 (“to recover; to get better,” also “to be better than”). It’s a ㅅ-irregular verb: the ㅅ drops before a vowel.

Plain: 나아
Polite present: 나아요
Past: 나았어/나았어요
Conditional: 나으면
Future: 나을 거야/나을 거예요
Honorific: 나으세요; future honorific: 나으실 거예요
Attributive (for “better”): 나은 (e.g., 나은 선택 “a better choice”)

I’ve seen 낫다, 낳다, 낮다. Which one is used here?

They’re different verbs:

낫다: to recover; to be better → 나아/나아요/나았어요
낳다: to give birth; to produce → 낳아/낳아요/낳았어요
낮다: to be low → 낮아/낮아요/낮았어요 This sentence uses 낫다.

Can I use 나아지다 instead of 낫다? What’s the nuance?

낫다 = to recover/get well; feels more direct (health).
나아지다 = to improve; suggests gradual improvement or degree. Both can fit. Examples:
약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나아.
약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나아질 거야. (emphasizes “will improve”)

Does 금방 mean “soon” or “just now”?

Both, depending on context:

Past context → “just now” (e.g., 금방 왔어 = I just came.)
Future/predictive context → “soon” (e.g., 금방 갈게 = I’ll go soon.) Alternatives:
곧: soon, any minute (neutral and a bit firmer).
금세: very soon; almost immediately (standard spelling is 금세, not 금새).
바로: right away/at once; also “exactly/right.”

Why no explicit future ending like -거야? Is 나아 present or future here?

Korean often uses the plain present for near-future predictions when context (like -면 and 금방) makes it clear. To make the future explicit:

약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나을 거야/거예요.
약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나아질 거야/거예요.

How should I pronounce this naturally?

약 먹고 → often [양 먹꼬] in fast speech (nasal assimilation), and 먹고 itself is [먹꼬] (tensification).
쉬면 → [쉬면]
금방 → [금방] (final ㅇ = “ng”)
나아 → [나아] (two clear syllables; don’t compress to a single [나])

Does 약 먹고 imply sequence or just doing both actions?

It implies both, with a natural sense of sequence (“take medicine, then rest”). If you want to stress the sequence more strongly, use 약 먹고 나서 or 약을 먹은 뒤에.

Is 마시다 ever used for medicine? We “drink” liquid medicine in English.

Use 먹다 for taking medicine, regardless of form: 약(을) 먹다. Honorific: 약(을) 드시다. Formal/medical: 복용하다. Natives rarely say 약을 마시다 for “taking” medicine.

Can I add an adverb like “well” to 쉬다?

Yes:

푹 쉬면: if you get plenty of rest
잘 쉬면: if you rest well Example: 약 먹고 푹 쉬면 금방 나아.

Can I say 쉬면은 with 은?

Yes, -면은/-으면은 is a colloquial emphatic variant. 약 먹고 쉬면은 금방 나아. It adds a slight “as for when/if…” emphasis and is casual.

How could I rephrase this at different levels?

Casual reassurance: 약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나아.
Casual + explicit future: 약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나을 거야.
Polite: 약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나아요.
Polite + explicit future: 약 먹고 쉬면 금방 나을 거예요.
Honorific suggestion: 약 드시고 푹 쉬시면 금방 나으실 거예요.