약국 or 병원? Read the place before you enter
Two familiar signs point to different kinds of places. Learn the difference before looking for the door.
Understand the place
약국 means pharmacy. Look for the word on a storefront or a projecting sign; medicine shelves can help you recognize the setting. 병원 means a hospital or clinic: a place for medical care. A sign tells you the kind of business, not which services are available inside.
Easy to mix up
Do not translate both signs as pharmacy. A cross-shaped symbol alone is not enough to identify a place: read the Hangul too. Opening hours and available services need to be checked separately. This guide teaches sign vocabulary, not how to choose treatment or medicine.
A sign you might see
Imagine two neighboring doors: one says 약국 and the other 병원. The first is the pharmacy; the second is the place for medical care. Spot 약 in 약국, then read the whole word so you do not confuse it with the next sign.
Read in this order
- Find the place word first: 약국 or 병원. Read it as a whole, not just the familiar shape of one letter.
- Next, look for a separate status word. 영업중 describes being open; 휴무 describes taking a day off. Neither changes the type of business.
- Finally, look for an entrance arrow or a time notice. These tell you where to go or when to return, rather than what the business is.
Three signs, three decisions
Fictional sign examples
약국 names a pharmacy and 영업중 marks it open for business. You can now identify the place and its displayed status. The sign still does not list the medicines stocked, languages spoken, or services available.
The place is still a pharmacy, but 휴무 changes your next decision: this notice marks a closure or day off. Do not read 약국 and ignore the smaller notice just because the shop is easy to recognize.
병원 names a hospital or clinic, while 입구 and the arrow point toward its entrance. The arrow is a direction clue, not part of the business name. It does not tell you whether appointments are available.
What the sign cannot tell you
A fictional pharmacy has a bright window and a visible cross, but its door says 휴무. The readable notice is more useful than guessing from the lights. Recognizing a pharmacy does not establish that it is open, or which treatment is appropriate.
Check your understanding
Show answer and explanation
약국 is the pharmacy. 병원 identifies a hospital or clinic; 주차장 identifies a parking area. Choosing the place word is the first step before checking its status.
Show answer and explanation
Yes. 약국 tells you the type of business and 휴무 tells you its displayed closed/day-off status. The word pharmacy alone does not override the closure notice.
Try it on your next walk
Say 약국 and 병원 aloud, then cover their translations. Which sign names a pharmacy? On a walk, try recognizing the word before opening a translation app.
Practice these signs →