전화을 입다

You will mostly encounter this phrase in history books, news reports, or documentaries. It is a formal and serious expression. You wouldn't use it to talk about your weekend plans! Instead, you use it to describe a city's past or the fate of a nation. For example, if you are talking about how Seoul was destroyed in the 1950s, you would say 서울이 전화를 입었다. Notice that while the prompt uses 을, the natural particle is usually 를 because 전화 ends in a vowel. It is all about physical damage and the metaphorical "fire" of battle.

This phrase belongs in specific, gravity-filled settings. Think of a museum visit, a history lecture, or a deep conversation with an elder about their life during the war. If you are discussing the Korean War (6.25), this is a key term to know. It shows a high level of empathy and a sophisticated grasp of Korean history. It is also great for writing academic essays or reading high-level news articles. If a conflict breaks out somewhere in the world, the news might say that region is 전화를 입고 있다. It adds a layer of historical weight that simpler words just can't match.

Whatever you do, do not use this for your telephone! If your phone screen cracks or you lose your mobile, you did not 전화를 입다. That would sound like your phone was destroyed in a military invasion. For phone calls, you must use 전화를 받다 (to answer) or 전화를 걸다 (to call). Also, avoid using it for minor accidents like a car scratch or a broken window. This phrase is reserved for the massive, life-altering trauma of war. Using it for small things would make you sound unintentionally dramatic or very confused about Korean homonyms.

Korea has a long and often painful history of foreign invasions and internal conflict. Because of this, the Korean language has developed many nuanced ways to describe suffering and recovery. The phrase 전화를 입다 carries the weight of these historical experiences. For many Koreans, especially the older generation, this isn't just a vocabulary word; it is a lived reality. The "fires of war" destroyed almost everything in the mid-20th century, and rebuilding from that 전화 is a point of immense national pride. When you use this word correctly, you are acknowledging that deep history and showing respect for the struggle of the past.

You might see 전화에 휩싸이다, which means "to be engulfed in the fires of war." This is even more dramatic and visual. Then there is 전화를 피하다, which means "to escape or avoid war damage." If you want to talk about the lasting impact, you might hear 전화의 흔적, meaning "the traces of war fire." Another common one is 전화가 번지다, meaning the "war fire is spreading" to other regions. All of these use the same 전화 (戰火) root, treating conflict as a consuming, physical flame that moves across the land.