Korean word

변질

Pronunciation

Romanizationpyeonjil

Meaning

  • nounspoilage

Example

냄새가 나면 변질이 의심돼요.naem sae ga na myeon pyeon ji ri ui sim dwae yo

If it smells, spoilage is suspected.

Illustration for 변질 (spoilage)

More examples

제대로 포장하면 변질을 막을 수 있어요.che dae ro po jang ha myeon pyeon ji reul ma geul ssu i sseo yo

If it is properly packaged, spoilage can be prevented.

Core concept

A thing's original quality changes until it becomes spoiled, degraded, or no longer useful.

Common phrases

  • 변질을 막다pyeon ji reul mak tta

    prevent spoilage

  • 변질이 빠르다pyeon ji ri ppa reu da

    rapid spoilage

Similar words

상함sangham: Food becoming bad over time or through poor storage, with its taste and texture suffering.
썩음sseogeum: A rotting process in which material softens, breaks apart, and develops a foul smell.
부패pupae: A state of decay caused by chemical or biological breakdown that makes something unhygienic.

Definition in Korean

물건이나 음식의 성질이 변하여 상하거나 쓸모없게 되는 상태mul geo ni na eum si gui seong ji ri pyeon ha yeo sang ha geo na sseul mo eop kke toe neun sang tae

Word origin

This Sino-Korean compound combines elements meaning change and quality or nature, describing a change in what something is like.

Usage tips

  • 변질 (byeonjil, "spoilage") helps describe quality problems in both food and other products, so its use is broader than the English word spoilage often suggests.

Other meanings

  • deteriorationnoun
  • decaynoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 변질시키다pyeonjilsikidaspoilverb
  • 변질되다pyeonjildoedadeteriorateverb

Word lists with this word