Nuance Dictionary / Culture & Language
화병 Hwabyeong
A psychosomatic illness caused by chronically swallowing your anger and grief under oppressive social rules.
What does 화병 mean?
화병 (Hwabyeong) means: A psychosomatic illness caused by chronically swallowing your anger and grief under oppressive social rules.
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How it's actually used
- 시댁만 다녀오면 온몸이 아픈 게 완벽한 화병이야.
si-daek-man da-yeo-on-myeon on-mom-i a-pun ge wan-byeok-han hwa-byeong-i-ya.
My whole body aching every time I visit my in-laws is textbook hwabyeong.
💡 Reveals how the term is casually weaponized against traditional familial obligations and emotional repression. - 참기만 하다가 진짜 화병 나서 쓰러지겠다.
cham-gi-man ha-da-ga jin-jja hwa-byeong na-seo sseu-reo-ji-get-da.
If I keep biting my tongue like this, I'm genuinely going to collapse from hwabyeong.
💡 Shows the direct causal link natives make between emotional endurance and actual physical collapse. - 그 상사 밑에서 일하다간 화병 도지겠더라고.
geu sang-sa mit-eseo il-ha-da-gan hwa-byeong do-ji-get-deor-ago.
Working under that boss, I figured my hwabyeong was going to flare right back up.
💡 Demonstrates how chronic workplace stress is legitimized as a recurring chronic illness.