골절

§ What 골절 means

Korean Word

골절

Romanization

goljeol

English Definition

A break in a bone or cartilage; a fracture.

Word Type

Noun

CEFR Level

B1

The Korean word 골절 (goljeol) means 'fracture' or 'a break in a bone'. It's a common medical term you'll encounter in various situations, especially when talking about injuries. It can refer to a simple crack or a complete break in any bone in the body, or even cartilage. Think of it as the direct equivalent of 'fracture' in English.

§ How to use 골절 in sentences

Here are some practical examples of how 골절 is used in Korean sentences. Pay attention to how it combines with other verbs to describe the action of fracturing or having a fracture.

• The most common verb to use with 골절 is 되다 (doeda), which means 'to become' or 'to get'. So, 골절되다 means 'to be fractured' or 'to suffer a fracture'.

  다리가 골절되었어요. (My leg is fractured.)

• You can also use 입다 (ipda), which generally means 'to wear' but can also mean 'to suffer' or 'to incur' when talking about injuries or damage.

  손목 골절을 입었어요. (I suffered a wrist fracture.)

• When describing the act of causing a fracture, you would use 시키다 (sikida) or 시키다 (sikida) as part of a compound verb, or simply use 부러뜨리다 (bureotteurida), which means 'to break (a bone)'.

  넘어져서 팔을 골절시켰어요. (I fell and fractured my arm.)

§ Where you actually hear this word — work, school, news

You'll frequently encounter 골절 in various contexts, especially in situations where injuries are discussed. Here's where you're most likely to hear it:

• Medical Settings: This is the most obvious place. Doctors will use 골절 when diagnosing injuries, explaining treatment plans, or discussing a patient's condition. If you ever need to visit a hospital or clinic in Korea for a bone injury, this word will be central to the conversation.

  환자분은 발목 골절이 확인되었습니다. (The patient has a confirmed ankle fracture.)

• News Reports: When accidents or sports injuries occur, news outlets will often report on the extent of the injuries, including any 골절. You'll see it in headlines or in the body of articles describing incidents like car crashes, falls, or sports-related trauma.

  축구 선수가 경기 중 다리 골절로 시즌 아웃되었습니다. (The soccer player was out for the season due to a leg fracture during the game.)

• Casual Conversations about Injuries: If someone you know has had an accident, 골절 will likely come up. People will talk about their own injuries, or those of friends and family, using this term to describe a broken bone.

  스키 타다가 크게 넘어져서 팔에 골절이 왔어요. (I fell hard while skiing and got a fracture in my arm.)

• Workplace Safety or School Health Classes: In contexts related to safety regulations, first aid, or health education, 골절 will be used to discuss potential hazards and how to prevent or respond to such injuries.

  안전 교육 시간에 골절 예방에 대해 배웠어요. (During safety training, we learned about fracture prevention.)

§ Don't confuse it with a simple 'break'

Many English speakers, when first learning Korean, might be tempted to use '부서지다' (buseojida) or '깨지다' (kkaejida) for any kind of 'break.' While these words also mean 'to break,' they are generally used for objects or things that shatter or crack, like a glass or a plate. '골절' (goljeol) is specifically for bones or cartilage.

§ Using '골절' as a verb

'골절' is a noun. It means 'a fracture' or 'a break in a bone.' You can't just say '뼈가 골절했어요' (pyeoga goljeolhaesseoyo) to mean 'the bone fractured.' You need to combine it with a verb like '되다' (doeda) which means 'to become' or 'to get,' or '입다' (ipda) which means 'to suffer' or 'to incur' (often used for injuries). So, you would say '골절되다' (goljeoldoeda) meaning 'to get fractured' or '골절을 입다' (goljeoreul ipda) meaning 'to suffer a fracture.'

§ Not specifying the location

While in English you might sometimes just say 'I have a fracture,' in Korean, it's very natural and often expected to specify which part of the body has the fracture. Simply saying '저는 골절입니다' (jeoneun goljeorimnida) is grammatically correct but sounds a bit incomplete. It's better to say '팔이 골절되었습니다' (pari goljeoldoeeotseumnida - My arm was fractured) or '손목 골절이에요' (sonmok goljeoriyeyo - It's a wrist fracture).

DEFINITION

A break in a bone or cartilage.

§ Overusing '골절' for minor injuries

'골절' implies a significant bone break. For smaller issues like sprains or twists, you would use different words. For example, '염좌' (yeomjwa) for a sprain or '삐다' (ppida) for twisting an ankle. Using '골절' for a minor sprain would be an exaggeration and could cause misunderstanding.

• Sprain: 염좌 (yeomjwa)

• Twist (e.g., ankle): 삐다 (ppida)

§ The nuance of '골절상' (goljeolsang)

You might sometimes hear '골절상' (goljeolsang). This literally means 'fracture injury.' While it's closely related to '골절,' it emphasizes the injury aspect. You'll often see this in news reports or formal contexts when talking about a person suffering from a fracture as a result of an accident. For everyday conversation, '골절' is usually sufficient, but understanding '골절상' adds a layer to your vocabulary.