Home > Wikinae > [Korean Slang] #45 알바(Part-time job)

[Korean Slang] #45 알바(Part-time job)

Mirinae
May 23, 2024

Welcome to Wikinae’s Korean Slang #45

In Korea, part-timers are often called by this term which is derived from neither Korean nor English. Can you guess which language it is?

In today’s post, let’s find out how Koreans call a “part-time job”!

알바 is short for ‘아르바이트’. 아르바이트 is the Korean pronunciation of the German term ‘arbeit’ which means ‘part time job’.

Although the word originated from Germany, its meaning has slightly diverged from the original German meaning which is ‘work’.

In the process of the term being introduced in Japan, its meaning has changed over time and is now used to mean ‘part-time work’ in both Korea and Japan.

• • •

Examples

A: 너 알바 어디서 해?

Where do you work part-time?

B: 학교 앞 카페에서 해. 언제 한 번 놀러와!

At the cafe in front of the university. You should come by sometime!

• • •

11:55 — “저 알바, 학원에서 알바…” means “I work part-time at a private educational institute…”

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