Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
퇴사 toe-sa
Resigning from a soul-crushing job as an ultimate act of personal liberation and rebellion.
What does 퇴사 mean?
퇴사 (toe-sa) means: Resigning from a soul-crushing job as an ultimate act of personal liberation and rebellion.
Textbooks define 퇴사 as 'resignation,' making it sound like a sterile HR paperwork process. But among peers, it carries the visceral, cinematic energy of smashing a glass ceiling and running out of a burning building into the fresh air. When a Korean friend announces '나 퇴사해' (Na toe-sa-hae), they aren't just talking about a career pivot; they are reclaiming their life from corporate indentured servitude. It’s whispered in group chats like a secret jailbreak code and met with instant, fierce congratulations.
Other sides of 퇴사
◆ The Bureaucratic Fact — When you see '퇴사' on an HR document, an official notification, or a corporate registry, it loses all the rebellious romance of quitting. It is the cold, bureaucratic reality of labor relations—the paperwork side of employment termination. Natives use this strictly when dealing with official channels, employment records, or neutral reporting, where the emotional weight of 'escaping' is entirely stripped away.
How it's actually used
- 드디어 오늘로 탈출 성공! 나 오늘부로 퇴사한다!
Deu-di-eo o-neul-ro tal-chul seong-gong! Na o-neul-bu-ro toe-sa-han-da!
Prison break successful as of today! I'm officially resigning starting today!
💡 Framing resignation as a jailbreak ('탈출') highlights the escape-room reality of toxic Korean workplaces. - 더 이상 못 버텨. 나 내일 당장 퇴사 통보할 거야.
Deo i-sang mot beo-tyeo. Na naeil dang-jang toe-sa tong-bo-hal geo-ya.
I can't endure this a second longer. I'm dropping the resignation bomb tomorrow morning.
💡 Using '통보' (notice/ultimatum) instead of '제출' (submission) shows the power dynamic flipping—you aren't asking permission to leave, you're informing them you're done. - 상사 얼굴 더 이상 보기 싫어서 당장 내일이라도 퇴사하고 싶어.
sangsa eolgul deo isang bogi silheoseo dangjang naeilirado teso hago sipeo.
I don't want to look at my boss's face one more second, I want to resign tomorrow even if it's right now.
💡 Expresses intense workplace burnout and the desire for freedom.
Related words in Social Situations
우물 안 개구리 Umul an gaeguri원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다 Wonsungido namuseo tteoreojinda애를 먹다 aereul meokda알다 alda아무래도 amuraedo