Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
발목을 잡다 balmogeul japda
To be shackled by a past mistake or a person that prevents your professional growth.
What does 발목을 잡다 mean?
발목을 잡다 (balmogeul japda) means: To be shackled by a past mistake or a person that prevents your professional growth.
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How it's actually used
- 과거의 실수가 자꾸 내 발목을 잡네.
gwa-geo-ui sil-su-ga ja-kku nae bal-mo-geul jam-ne.
My past mistake keeps holding me back.
💡 Reveals the self-deprecating frustration of being unable to move on from a previous professional blunder. - 팀장님이 계속 내 발목을 잡는 것 같아.
tim-jang-nim-i gye-sok nae bal-mo-geul jam-neun geot ga-ta.
I feel like my team lead is constantly holding me back.
💡 Shows how the phrase is used to blame a superior for stifling one's career progression. - 이 프로젝트가 내 발목을 잡아서 이직을 못 하고 있어.
i peu-ro-jek-teu-ga nae bal-mo-geul ja-ba-seo i-ji-geul mot ha-go i-sseo.
This project is holding me back, so I can't quit and find a new job.
💡 Highlights the sense of being trapped in a role due to an ongoing, inescapable task.
Related words in Social Situations
보기에는 bogieneun철이 들다 cheori deulda초토화 cho-to-hwa단호하다 Dan-ho-ha-da답장 dapjang