Nuance Dictionary / Slang & Internet Culture
알바 al-ba
A part-time job taken out of sheer economic desperation to cover rent and basic survival, rather than for pocket money.
What does 알바 mean?
알바 (al-ba) means: A part-time job taken out of sheer economic desperation to cover rent and basic survival, rather than for pocket money.
Speakers use this term to describe part-time jobs undertaken out of financial necessity, such as paying for university tuition or covering monthly living expenses. It appears in contexts where individuals find their current part-time earnings insufficient to meet basic financial demands. The word frequently combines with verbs related to earning money, paying tuition, or managing living costs.
This usage often conveys the everyday economic pressure faced by students and young adults, framing part-time work not as leisure activity or pocket money but as an unavoidable survival requirement.
This usage often conveys the everyday economic pressure faced by students and young adults, framing part-time work not as leisure activity or pocket money but as an unavoidable survival requirement.
How it's actually used
- 그녀는 학비를 벌기 위해 알바를 하고 있다.
geu-nyeo-neun hak-bi-reul beol-gi wi-hae al-ba-reul ha-go it-da.
She is doing a part-time job to earn money for tuition.
💡 Shows working part-time specifically to cover educational expenses. - 지금 하고 있는 알바만으로는 생활비도 감당하기 힘들다.
ji-geum ha-go it-neun al-ba-man-u-ro-neun saenghwal-bi-do gam-dang-ha-gi him-deul-da.
It is hard to cover even living expenses with just the part-time job I am doing now.
💡 Shows the insufficiency of earnings from a single part-time job for basic survival. - 방학 때마다 알바를 구해서 생활비를 보태고 있어요.
bang-hak ttae-ma-da al-ba-reul gu-hae-seo saenghwal-bi-reul bo-tae-go is-seo-yo.
I find a part-time job every vacation to help cover my living expenses.
💡 Shows routine reliance on part-time work to manage everyday costs.
Related words in Slang & Internet Culture
알잘딱깔센 al-jal-ttak-kkal-sen안물안궁 an-mul-an-gung안습 an-seup별다줄 byeol-da-jul대박 dae-bak