Nuance Dictionary / Grit, Survival, & Hardship
뼈 빠지게 ppyeo-ppa-ji-ge
Working so incredibly hard that your bones might fall out of your body
What does 뼈 빠지게 mean?
뼈 빠지게 (ppyeo-ppa-ji-ge) means: Working so incredibly hard that your bones might fall out of your body.
The classic complaint of Korean parents who worked their whole lives to raise kids.
How it's actually used
- 부모님이 뼈 빠지게 일해서 우리를 키워주셨다는 걸 커서야 깨달았다.
Bumonim-i ppyeo ppajige ilhaeseo urireul kiwojusyeotdaneun geol keoseoya kkaedaratda.
It wasn't until I grew up that I realized my parents worked their bones off to raise us.
💡 The quintessential phrase for expressing gratitude and guilt toward parents. - 이렇게 뼈 빠지게 벌어도 서울에 집 한 채 살 수가 없네.
Ireoke ppyeo ppajige beoreodo seoul-e jip han chae sal suga eomne.
Even working my fingers to the bone like this, I can't even afford a single house in Seoul.
💡 Used to complain about the futility of hard work relative to living costs. - 우리 부모님은 우리 키우시느라 젊음을 다 바쳐 뼈 빠지게 일하셨다.
uri bumonim-eun uri kiusineura jeolmeum-eul da bachyeo pppyeo ppajige ilhasyeotda.
My parents worked their bones off, dedicating their entire youth to raising us.
💡 Use when expressing deep gratitude and sympathy for parental sacrifice.
Related words in Grit, Survival, & Hardship
맨땅에 헤딩(하다) maen-ttang-e-he-ding이(를) 악물다 i-reul-ang-mul-da산전수전(다 겪다) san-jeon-su-jeon요령(을 피우다) yo-ryeong악착같이 ak-chak-ga-chi