머리가 빠지다.
meoriga ppajida.
Hair falls out.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use '머리가 빠지다' to describe being under so much stress or working so hard that you feel like you're losing hair.
- Means: To be extremely stressed or to work incredibly hard on a difficult task.
- Used in: Exam periods, high-pressure work projects, or complex problem-solving situations.
- Don't confuse: With literal hair loss ({탈모|脫毛}) unless the context is medical.
Explanation at your level:
Signification
Meaning to become bald or to work extremely hard, causing stress.
Contexte culturel
There is a significant market for 'anti-hair loss' shampoos among people in their 20s and 30s in Korea, largely due to the high-stress lifestyle. This makes the idiom feel very 'real' to locals. The concept of 'Sang-yeol' (rising heat) is central to why Koreans associate the head with stress. Cooling the head is seen as a way to reduce anxiety. Admitting your 'hair is falling out' over a task is often seen as a sign of diligence and loyalty to the company in a corporate setting. While '머리가 빠지다' is traditional, younger people might use '탈모 빔' (hair loss beam) as a joke when someone says something stressful.
Use with '-을 것 같다'
This is the most natural way to use the phrase in daily conversation to express current stress.
Don't overdo it
If you use it for every small thing, it loses its impact. Save it for things that are actually difficult.
Signification
Meaning to become bald or to work extremely hard, causing stress.
Use with '-을 것 같다'
This is the most natural way to use the phrase in daily conversation to express current stress.
Don't overdo it
If you use it for every small thing, it loses its impact. Save it for things that are actually difficult.
Add '다' (all)
Saying '머리가 다 빠졌어요' (All my hair fell out) makes the hyperbole even stronger and more natural.
Empathy tool
When a friend says they are stressed, responding with '머리 빠지겠네요' (Your hair must be falling out) shows great empathy.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct particle and verb form.
요즘 업무가 너무 많아서 머리___ _______ 것 같아요.
We need the subject particle '가' and the future/conjecture form '-을 것 같다'.
Which situation is MOST appropriate for using '머리가 빠지다'?
다음 중 '머리가 빠지다'를 쓰기에 가장 적절한 상황은?
The idiom is used for stressful or mentally taxing situations.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 이번 프로젝트 제안서 다 썼어요? B: 아니요, 그거 생각하느라 ________________.
B is explaining how hard they worked/how stressed they are.
Match the idiom to its meaning in context.
'머리가 빠지도록 공부했다'의 의미는?
'-도록' expresses the degree of the action.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Questions fréquentes
8 questionsNo, it's not rude, but you should use the polite ending '-어요' or '-습니다'. It's a common idiomatic expression used across generations.
Yes, literally it means hair loss. But in a conversation about work or study, everyone will know you mean stress.
'아프다' is for a physical headache. '빠지다' is for the mental strain and effort of a task.
You can say '고심하다' (to labor in thought) or '심혈을 기울이다' in very formal writing.
Yes! It's actually a very common self-deprecating joke in Korea. You can say '이미 다 빠졌어요' (It already all fell out).
No, it can apply to anything mentally taxing, like planning a trip, solving a puzzle, or even trying to understand a complex movie plot.
In Korean, '머리' often acts as a shorthand for both 'head' and 'hair'. Using '머리카락' is more literal and less idiomatic.
Extremely! You'll often hear office workers or students in dramas sighing and saying this.
Expressions liées
머리를 싸매다
similarTo wrap one's head (with a cloth)
골치가 아프다
similarTo have a headache/troublesome problem
피가 마르다
similarOne's blood dries up
진을 빼다
similarTo exhaust one's energy/sap
머리를 굴리다
specialized formTo roll one's head (think quickly)
Où l'utiliser
Exam Season
Student A: 이번 수학 시험 범위 봤어? 진짜 말도 안 돼.
Student B: 응, 그거 공부하느라 나 지금 머리가 다 빠질 것 같아.
Office Deadline
Manager: 김 대리, 보고서 다 됐나?
Employee: 네, 부장님. 이거 작성하느라 머리가 다 빠지는 줄 알았습니다.
Fixing a Bug
Developer 1: 이 버그 왜 안 잡히지? 벌써 세 시간째야.
Developer 2: 그러게. 나도 그거 보다가 머리가 다 빠졌어.
Parenting
Friend 1: 요즘 육아는 어때? 힘들지?
Friend 2: 말도 마. 애가 밤에 안 자서 머리가 빠질 지경이야.
Financial Planning
Husband: 이번 달 생활비가 부족하네. 어떻게 하지?
Wife: 글쎄요, 가계부 정리하다가 머리가 다 빠지겠어요.
Learning Korean
Learner 1: 한국어 문법은 왜 이렇게 복잡해요?
Learner 2: 맞아요. 저도 문법 공부할 때마다 머리가 빠져요.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a student studying so hard for a Korean test that they keep scratching their head until hair falls out.
Visual Association
Imagine a cartoon character with a giant 'STRESS' cloud over their head, and as the cloud grows, individual hairs start floating away like dandelion seeds.
Rhyme
Stress is high, hair says goodbye.
Story
Min-ho was a top student. For the final exam, he studied for 20 hours a day. His mother walked in and saw a pile of hair on his desk. She didn't call a doctor; she just said, 'You're working so hard, your hair is falling out!' Now Min-ho uses this phrase whenever he has a difficult coding bug.
Word Web
Défi
Next time you have a difficult homework assignment, tell your language partner: '이 숙제 때문에 머리가 빠질 것 같아요!'
In Other Languages
Pulling one's hair out
Active vs. Passive action.
身を削る (Mi o kezuru)
Focuses on the whole body rather than just hair.
绞尽脑汁 (Jiǎojìn nǎozhī)
Focuses on the brain/juice rather than hair.
Echar humo por la cabeza
Heat/smoke vs. physical loss.
Se casser la tête
Breaking vs. falling out.
Sich die Haare raufen
Active scuffling vs. passive falling.
يشيب الرأس (Yushib al-ra's)
Color change vs. quantity loss.
Arrancar os cabelos
Active pulling action.
Easily Confused
Both involve the head and something 'leaving' or 'being empty'.
머리가 빠지다 is about stress/effort; 머리가 비다 means to be empty-headed or unintelligent.
Both describe mental processes.
머리가 돌아가다 means your brain is working fast/well (positive); 머리가 빠지다 is the negative toll of that work.
FAQ (8)
No, it's not rude, but you should use the polite ending '-어요' or '-습니다'. It's a common idiomatic expression used across generations.
Yes, literally it means hair loss. But in a conversation about work or study, everyone will know you mean stress.
'아프다' is for a physical headache. '빠지다' is for the mental strain and effort of a task.
You can say '고심하다' (to labor in thought) or '심혈을 기울이다' in very formal writing.
Yes! It's actually a very common self-deprecating joke in Korea. You can say '이미 다 빠졌어요' (It already all fell out).
No, it can apply to anything mentally taxing, like planning a trip, solving a puzzle, or even trying to understand a complex movie plot.
In Korean, '머리' often acts as a shorthand for both 'head' and 'hair'. Using '머리카락' is more literal and less idiomatic.
Extremely! You'll often hear office workers or students in dramas sighing and saying this.
