B1 noun Formal

폐기물

/pʰeɡimul/

Unwanted or unusable materials that are discarded after use. It is the formal academic term for 'waste' or 'trash'.

Examples

3 of 5
1

음식물 폐기물을 줄이기 위한 캠페인이 진행 중이다.

A campaign to reduce food waste is underway.

2

지정된 장소 외에 폐기물을 버리는 것은 불법입니다.

It is illegal to dump waste outside of designated areas.

3

이 폐기물들은 어떻게 처리해야 해?

How should we process this waste?

Word Family

Noun
폐기물
Verb
폐기하다
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Memory Tip

Pyegimul: Pyegi (discard/abolish) + Mul (thing/material).

Quick Quiz

공장에서 나오는 화학 ___은 엄격히 관리되어야 한다.

Correct!

The correct answer is: 폐기물

Examples

1

음식물 폐기물을 줄이기 위한 캠페인이 진행 중이다.

everyday

A campaign to reduce food waste is underway.

2

지정된 장소 외에 폐기물을 버리는 것은 불법입니다.

formal

It is illegal to dump waste outside of designated areas.

3

이 폐기물들은 어떻게 처리해야 해?

informal

How should we process this waste?

4

핵 폐기물 처리는 현대 과학의 어려운 과제 중 하나이다.

academic

Nuclear waste disposal is one of the difficult challenges of modern science.

5

폐기물 처리 비용을 절감하기 위한 대안을 찾고 있습니다.

business

We are looking for alternatives to reduce waste disposal costs.

Word Family

Noun
폐기물
Verb
폐기하다

Common Collocations

산업 폐기물 industrial waste
폐기물 처리 waste disposal/management
음식물 폐기물 food waste
폐기물 배출 waste discharge
유해 폐기물 hazardous waste

Common Phrases

폐기물 관리

waste management

방사성 폐기물

radioactive waste

건설 폐기물

construction waste

Often Confused With

폐기물 vs 쓰레기

쓰레기 is the common word for trash, while 폐기물 is the formal/technical term used in laws and science.

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Usage Notes

Essential for IELTS Writing Task 2 when discussing environmental pollution and recycling.

⚠️

Common Mistakes

Don't use '폐기물' to refer to a small piece of trash on the floor (use '쓰레기').

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Memory Tip

Pyegimul: Pyegi (discard/abolish) + Mul (thing/material).

📖

Word Origin

From Sino-Korean 廢 (to abandon), 棄 (to throw away), and 物 (thing).

Grammar Patterns

폐기물을 배출하다 폐기물을 처리하다
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Cultural Context

Korea has a very strict 'waste separation' (분리수거) system for different types of 폐기물.

Quick Quiz

공장에서 나오는 화학 ___은 엄격히 관리되어야 한다.

Correct!

The correct answer is: 폐기물

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