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TOPIK I Reading Practice: Decode a Korean Medicine Label
Level
A2
Type
Guide
Theme
Signs and notices
작성자
Y
작성시각
You leave a pharmacy in Korea with a small paper bag. The pharmacist explained everything, but the Korean came quickly. Now the label shows 1회 1정, 1일 3회, and 식후.
This is a useful travel moment and a useful TOPIK I reading drill. You do not need to understand every medical word. Start by finding four pieces of information: the amount, the daily frequency, the time, and any warning.
Label clue | Basic meaning | Question it answers |
1회 1정 | one tablet each time | How much each time? |
1일 3회 | three times a day | How often each day? |
식후 | after a meal | When? |
졸음 주의 | caution: drowsiness | What should I watch for? |
This lesson is language practice, not medical advice. Medicine instructions vary. Follow the exact label and the instructions from your doctor or pharmacist.
The real moment: your explanation was faster than your reading
At a Korean pharmacy, you may receive a box, bottle, packet, or divided paper pouches. Several numbers can appear close together, so scan for labels before reading every line.
복용 means taking medicine, 용법 means directions for use, 용량 means dose or amount, and 주의 signals a caution. Most importantly, 1회 points to one dose while 1일 points to the whole day.
Read the label in four passes
Use the same order every time:
1.
Find 1회 for the amount taken at one time.
2.
Find 1일 for the number of times in one day.
3.
Find a time word such as 식전, 식후, or 취침 전.
4.
Find 주의 for a caution.
1회 1정 / 1일 3회 / 식후 복용
One tablet each time / three times a day / take after a meal
One tablet each time / three times a day / take after a meal
Read the slashes as separate information boxes. Do not combine the two number phrases into "three tablets at once."
Find the amount after 1회
회 counts occurrences or times. On a medicine label, 1회 usually points to one occasion of taking the medicine. Look just after it for the amount.
Korean pattern | What to notice | Language meaning |
1회 1정 | 정 counts tablets | one tablet each time |
1회 2정 | the amount changed to two | two tablets each time |
1회 1포 | 포 counts packets or pouches | one packet each time |
1회 5mL | a liquid amount follows | 5 mL each time |
정 is a common counter for tablets. 포 is used for a packet or pouch. A liquid may show mL instead of a Korean counter.
Circle the word after 1회; it fills the amount box.
Find the daily frequency after 1일
일 means "day" in this pattern. A phrase such as 1일 3회 means three times in one day.
Label | Meaning |
1일 1회 | once a day |
1일 2회 | twice a day |
1일 3회 | three times a day |
Keep the two chunks separate:
•
1회 1정: one tablet each time
•
1일 3회: three times during the day
A test question may place both expressions in the same short text. Check whether the answer choice asks "how much each time" or "how many times a day." The Korean words 회 and 일 tell you which number matters.
Find the time word
Time instructions are short, but you should not guess them from habit. Official Korean drug-safety guidance notes that medicine use times differ and that patients should follow the time recommended by a doctor or pharmacist.
Korean | Word parts | Language meaning |
식전 | 식, meal + 전, before | before a meal |
식후 | 식, meal + 후, after | after a meal |
식사와 함께 | together with a meal | with food |
취침 전 | before going to sleep | at bedtime |
매일 같은 시간 | the same time every day | at a consistent daily time |
전 and 후 also appear in schedules, notices, and travel information. Learning them from a medicine label helps with other TOPIK I texts too.
Never replace the printed instruction with a rule you remember from another medicine. If the timing is not clear, ask the pharmacist.
Read the warning as a separate message
A warning often contains 주의, "caution." Treat it as a separate message rather than part of the dose.
Warning phrase | Useful reading meaning |
졸음 주의 | caution: may cause drowsiness |
운전 주의 | caution about driving |
어린이 손이 닿지 않는 곳 | a place children cannot reach |
사용기한 확인 | check the use-by date |
지시사항대로 복용 | take as directed |
You are not deciding whether the warning applies to every medicine. You are recognizing what the printed Korean says on the item in front of you.
In a TOPIK-style short text, a warning can control the correct answer. If one choice says "Drive immediately" but the label says 운전 주의, the words do not match.
Try three short reading questions
Read the label, then find only the clue that answers the question.
•
Label A: 1회 2정 / 1일 2회 / 식후. How many tablets per dose? Two.
•
Label B: 1회 1포 / 1일 3회 / 식전. When is it taken? Before a meal.
•
Label C: 1회 1정 / 취침 전 / 졸음 주의. What caution appears? Drowsiness.
You did not need a full translation. The question told you which information box mattered.
Use a 20-second TOPIK routine
Underline the information target, box 1회, 1일, the time word, and 주의, then ignore numbers that do not answer the question. Before choosing, check that you did not confuse 전 and 후. This clue-first habit also works with schedules, tickets, and store notices.
Ask the pharmacist when the label is unclear
Reading the label is useful, but confirming the instructions is safer. These short questions can help:
Korean | Natural English |
언제 먹어요? | When do I take it? |
한 번에 몇 알 먹어요? | How many pills do I take at once? |
하루에 몇 번 먹어요? | How many times a day do I take it? |
식전이에요, 식후예요? | Is it before or after a meal? |
졸릴 수 있어요? | Could it make me drowsy? |
In conversation, 알 and 하루 often do the jobs that 정 and 1일 do in print. If you are unsure, show the label so the pharmacist can point to the exact line.
Keep the reading skill and the medical decision separate
Remember the four-part scan:
1회 → 1일 → 시간 → 주의
On a TOPIK page, it finds the needed clue. At a pharmacy, it finds the line to confirm with the pharmacist.