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Korean vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "pollution" in Korean?
오염
oyeom
In Korean, "pollution" is 오염 (oyeom).
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Pronunciation
Oyeom is two syllables, o like the letter O and yeom which glides quickly, rhyming loosely with 'yum'.
Writing and usage
오염 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
자동차는 도시의 오염을 가중시킵니다.
jadongchaneun dosiui oyeomeul gajungsikipnida.
Cars add to the city's pollution.
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How to remember 오염
O-yeom sounds like 'oh yum', ironic since pollution is anything but appetizing.
Related words
- ecosystem 생태계 saengtaegye
- habitat 서식지 seosikji
- wildlife 야생동물 yasaengdongmul
- environment 환경 hwangyeong
- recycling 재활용 jaehwaryong
- conservation 보존 bojon
- wildfire 산불 sanbul
- landslide 산사태 sansatae
- petal 꽃잎 kkochip
Browse all Korean words in the glossary.
Questions about 오염
How do you pronounce 오염?
Oyeom is two syllables, o like the letter O and yeom which glides quickly, rhyming loosely with 'yum'.
Is 오염 formal or casual?
오염 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 오염 written in Korean?
오염 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as oyeom.
Where can I practice Korean words for free?
You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Pollution" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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