미움을 받다.

The phrase '미움을 받다' is composed of '미움' (mium), meaning 'hatred' or 'dislike,' and '받다' (batda), a verb meaning 'to receive.' '미움' itself is derived from the verb '미워하다' (miwohada), meaning 'to hate' or 'to dislike.' The suffix '-음' (-eum) is added to a verb stem to transform it into a noun, indicating the state or result of the verb's action. So, '미움' literally means 'the act of hating' or 'the state of being hated.' '받다' is a common verb in Korean with a broad range of meanings including 'to receive,' 'to get,' 'to take,' or 'to accept.' In this context, it signifies the reception of a negative emotion. Therefore, when combined, '미움을 받다' literally translates to 'to receive hatred' or 'to receive dislike,' which naturally evolves into the meaning of 'to be disliked' or 'to be hated' by someone. The phrase captures the passive experience of being the object of someone's negative feelings. Historically, the components of this phrase have been present in the Korean language for centuries, with '미워하다' and '받다' being fundamental verbs. The construction of turning a verb into a noun with '-음' and then using '받다' to express receiving that noun is a standard grammatical pattern in Korean. This construction is efficient in conveying a passive state without explicitly using a passive voice for the main verb. The phrase has maintained its core meaning throughout its history, reflecting a straightforward way to express the social experience of being disliked.