B1 Idiom ニュートラル

허리가 부러지다

heoriga bureojida

Work extremely hard

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use this to describe working so hard that you feel physically broken or completely exhausted.

  • Means: To work oneself to the point of physical collapse or extreme fatigue.
  • Used in: Describing long shifts, intense study sessions, or overwhelming household chores.
  • Don't confuse: It is not a literal injury; it is a metaphor for effort.
Heavy workload + Physical exhaustion = 허리가 부러지다

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means you are very, very tired because you worked too much. You use it when you have a lot of work to do. It is like saying 'I am working so hard my back hurts.'
When you have too much work, you can say '허리가 부러지다'. It is an idiom. It does not mean your back is really broken. It means you are working very hard and you feel very tired. People use this when they are busy with jobs or school.
This idiom describes a state of extreme exhaustion due to heavy labor or responsibilities. While the literal meaning involves a broken spine, the figurative meaning is used to express that the burden of work is so heavy it feels physically damaging. It is common in casual conversations to emphasize how hard someone has been working.
‘허리가 부러지다’ is a metaphorical expression used to articulate the physical and mental toll of excessive labor. It functions as a hyperbolic device, allowing the speaker to convey the intensity of their workload by referencing the physical strain of manual labor. It is particularly prevalent in contexts where individuals are balancing high-pressure professional or academic demands.
This idiom serves as a linguistic manifestation of the cultural emphasis on labor intensity. By invoking the imagery of a broken spine, it creates a vivid, visceral representation of the exhaustion inherent in high-pressure environments. It is frequently employed in social discourse to foster solidarity among peers who are navigating similar professional or academic stressors, effectively bridging the gap between individual experience and collective cultural norms.
The idiom ‘허리가 부러지다’ functions as a socio-cultural marker of the 'grind' ethos. Etymologically rooted in agrarian labor, its semantic shift to contemporary professional contexts illustrates the persistence of physical metaphors in describing abstract, cognitive, or sedentary labor. It acts as a communicative tool for signaling extreme fatigue, thereby eliciting social support or validation within a competitive, high-stakes environment.

意味

To work oneself to exhaustion, indicating severe physical exertion.

🌍

文化的背景

Reflects the 'pali-pali' culture where hard work is a social expectation. Shares the same idiom, reflecting similar agrarian roots and work ethics. Emphasizes the 'pain' of work, similar to the Korean focus on physical strain. Uses 'back-breaking' to describe labor, showing a universal human connection between spine and work.

💡

Use with '지경이다'

Adding '지경이다' makes the phrase sound more natural and dramatic.

⚠️

Don't use in formal emails

It is too informal for business correspondence.

意味

To work oneself to exhaustion, indicating severe physical exertion.

💡

Use with '지경이다'

Adding '지경이다' makes the phrase sound more natural and dramatic.

⚠️

Don't use in formal emails

It is too informal for business correspondence.

🎯

Use for empathy

Use it when a friend complains to show you understand their pain.

自分をテスト

Fill in the blank with the correct form.

시험 기간이라 요즘 ___________ 공부하고 있어요.

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: 허리가 부러지게

We need the adverbial form to modify the verb '공부하다'.

Which sentence is correct?

Choose the most natural sentence.

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: 그는 허리가 부러지게 일했다.

The idiom requires the '-게' suffix to function as an adverb.

Match the situation to the feeling.

You have been working for 12 hours straight.

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: 허리가 부러질 지경이다

This phrase best captures the feeling of being on the verge of collapse.

🎉 スコア： /3

ビジュアル学習ツール

よくある質問

4 問

No, it is a metaphor for extreme exhaustion.

No, it is too informal. Use professional language instead.

No, it is used for studying, office work, and any intense task.

'뼈가 빠지다' is slightly more intense.

関連フレーズ

🔄

뼈가 빠지게 일하다

synonym

Working until bones fall out.

🔗

눈코 뜰 새 없다

similar

Extremely busy.

🔗

녹초가 되다

similar

To be completely drained.

🔗

눈이 빠지게 기다리다

similar

To wait very anxiously.

どこで使う？

💻

Office Overtime

A: 아직도 일해?

B: 응, 마감 때문에 허리가 부러지게 일하고 있어.

informal
📚

Exam Season

A: 시험 공부 어때?

B: 허리가 부러질 지경이야.

informal
📦

Moving House

A: 이사하느라 고생했어.

B: 응, 진짜 허리가 부러지게 짐을 옮겼어.

neutral
👨‍👩‍👧

Parental Sacrifice

A: 부모님은 정말 대단하신 것 같아.

B: 맞아, 우리 키우느라 허리가 부러지게 일하셨지.

neutral
💰

Financial Struggle

A: 왜 이렇게 무리해서 일해?

B: 빚 갚느라 허리가 부러질 것 같아서 그래.

informal
🎉

Event Planning

A: 행사 준비는 잘 돼가?

B: 허리가 부러지도록 준비 중이야.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a person carrying a giant stack of books so high that their spine snaps like a dry twig.

Visual Association

A person in a rice paddy bent double, their spine glowing red with heat and stress, symbolizing the 'breaking' point.

Rhyme

Work all day, work all night, my back breaks, I lose the light.

Story

Min-su had a big project. He worked for 20 hours straight. He felt his back was breaking. He finished it, but he needed a long nap.

Word Web

노동 (labor)피로 (fatigue)과로 (overwork)고통 (pain)책임 (responsibility)지경 (verge)

チャレンジ

Write three sentences about a time you were very busy using this phrase.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Dejarse la piel

Korean uses the spine as a symbol of structural integrity; Spanish uses skin as a symbol of the self.

French high

Se tuer à la tâche

French is more direct about 'death', whereas Korean focuses on the 'breaking' of a body part.

German high

Sich krummlegen

German focuses on the posture of bending; Korean focuses on the structural failure of the spine.

Japanese high

骨を折る (Hone o oru)

Japanese 'bone breaking' often implies 'taking great pains' for something, whereas Korean 'waist breaking' is strictly about exhaustion.

Arabic low

أكل الأخضر واليابس (Akala al-akhdar wa al-yabis)

Arabic metaphors for work are often less body-centric than Korean.

Chinese very_high

累断腰 (Lèi duàn yāo)

None; they share the same cultural root.

Korean self

허리가 부러지다

N/A

Portuguese moderate

Matar-se de trabalhar

Portuguese is more hyperbolic regarding life/death, while Korean is more specific to physical strain.

Easily Confused

허리가 부러지다 対 허리가 휘어지다

Both involve the waist and work, but '휘어지다' often implies financial burden.

Use '부러지다' for physical exhaustion, '휘어지다' for financial strain.

よくある質問 (4)

No, it is a metaphor for extreme exhaustion.

No, it is too informal. Use professional language instead.

No, it is used for studying, office work, and any intense task.

'뼈가 빠지다' is slightly more intense.

役に立った？

コメント (0)

ログインしてコメント
まだコメントがありません。最初に考えをシェアしましょう！