Nuance Dictionary / Grit, Survival, & Hardship
발버둥(치다) bal-beo-dung
Struggling and floundering desperately to escape a terrible situation
What does 발버둥(치다) mean?
발버둥(치다) (bal-beo-dung) means: Struggling and floundering desperately to escape a terrible situation.
The pitiful but desperate flailing of someone trying not to drown in debt or failure.
How it's actually used
- 빚을 갚으려고 아무리 발버둥쳐도 나아지는 게 없어서 너무 지친다.
Bij-eul gap-euryeogo amuri balbeodung-chyeodo naajineun ge eopseodo neomu jichinda.
No matter how desperately I flail around trying to pay off my debts, nothing gets better, and I'm so exhausted.
💡 Evokes a sense of helpless struggling against a grim reality. - 취업이 안 돼서 몇 년째 발버둥만 치고 있는데 정말 막막하다.
Chwieob-i an dwaeseo myeot nyeontjae balbeodung-man chigo inneun-de jeongmal makmakada.
I've been desperately struggling to get a job for years now, and I feel utterly hopeless.
💡 Commonly used when talking about job hunting or failing exams. - 빚을 갚기 위해 밤낮으로 발버둥쳐 봤지만 상황은 나아지지 않았다.
bijeul gapgi wihae bamnat-euro balbeodung-chyeo buatjiman sanghwang-eun naajiji anatda.
I struggled desperately day and night to pay off my debts, but the situation didn't improve.
💡 Conveys a pitiful, frantic struggle to escape a hopeless situation.
Related words in Grit, Survival, & Hardship
뼈 빠지게 ppyeo-ppa-ji-ge맨땅에 헤딩(하다) maen-ttang-e-he-ding이(를) 악물다 i-reul-ang-mul-da산전수전(다 겪다) san-jeon-su-jeon요령(을 피우다) yo-ryeong