Level 6

오염되다

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Meaning and Usage

The verb '오염되다' means 'to be polluted' or 'to become contaminated.' It is commonly used to describe environmental pollution such as water, air, or soil contamination. This verb is passive in nature, indicating that something has been affected by pollution.

Common Contexts

You will often hear '오염되다' in discussions about environmental issues, public health, and industrial impacts. It is frequently paired with nouns like '강물' (river water), '대기' (air), and '토양' (soil).

Collocations and Patterns

  • '오염된 지역' (polluted area): refers to places affected by pollution.
  • '심하게 오염되다' (to be severely polluted): emphasizes the degree of pollution.
  • '환경 오염' (environmental pollution): a common compound noun.

Register and Politeness

'오염되다' is neutral and appropriate for formal and informal contexts, including news reports, academic discussions, and everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse '오염되다' with '오염시키다,' which means 'to pollute' (active form). Remember, '오염되다' is passive, so the subject is the thing being polluted, not the polluter.

Example Sentences

강물이 공장 폐수 때문에 심하게 오염되었다.

Gangmuri gongjang pyesu ttaemune simhage oyeomdoeotda.

The river was severely polluted because of factory wastewater.

환경 보호를 위해 오염된 지역을 정화해야 한다.

Hwangyeong bohoreul wihae oyeomdoen jiyeogeul jeonghwahaeya handa.

To protect the environment, polluted areas must be cleaned up.

대기 오염이 심해지면서 건강에 문제가 생겼다.

Daegi oyeomi simhaejimyeonseo geongange munje ga saenggyeotda.

As air pollution worsened, health problems arose.