Meaning
To work extremely hard
Cultural Background
Hard work is highly valued, but so is the ability to complain about it. Complaining about overwork is a common social lubricant. In the tech sector in Sofia, 'скъсвам се от работа' is often used to justify high salaries or the need for long team-building retreats. In villages, this phrase is still used literally for physical labor like harvesting grapes or peppers. Similar idioms exist across the Balkans, reflecting a shared history of intense manual labor and a culture of expressive, hyperbolic speech.
Use it for empathy
When a Bulgarian friend complains about work, say 'Ох, знам как е, и аз се скъсвам'. It builds instant rapport.
Don't forget the 'се'
Without 'се', you are literally tearing something else. It's the most common learner mistake.
Meaning
To work extremely hard
Use it for empathy
When a Bulgarian friend complains about work, say 'Ох, знам как е, и аз се скъсвам'. It builds instant rapport.
Don't forget the 'се'
Without 'се', you are literally tearing something else. It's the most common learner mistake.
The 'Aylyak' contrast
If you want to be funny, say 'Вместо да бича айляк, се скъсвам от работа' (Instead of chilling, I'm working my tail off).
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing reflexive particle and preposition.
Аз ___ скъсвам ___ работа всеки ден.
The idiom requires the reflexive particle 'се' and the causal preposition 'от'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to say 'He worked very hard yesterday' using the idiom?
Изберете правилното изречение:
In the past tense, 'се' usually comes before the verb, and we use the perfective 'скъса' for a specific past event.
Match the phrase to the most appropriate situation.
В коя ситуация е най-добре да кажете 'Скъсвам се от работа'?
The phrase is informal and best used with friends to describe your state of being.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the idiom.
Мария: 'Искаш ли да отидем на кино?' Петър: 'Не мога, съжалявам. Шефът ми даде три нови проекта и сега...'
The present tense 'се скъсвам от работа' fits the context of current busyness.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesАз ___ скъсвам ___ работа всеки ден.
The idiom requires the reflexive particle 'се' and the causal preposition 'от'.
Изберете правилното изречение:
In the past tense, 'се' usually comes before the verb, and we use the perfective 'скъса' for a specific past event.
В коя ситуация е най-добре да кажете 'Скъсвам се от работа'?
The phrase is informal and best used with friends to describe your state of being.
Мария: 'Искаш ли да отидем на кино?' Петър: 'Не мога, съжалявам. Шефът ми даде три нови проекта и сега...'
The present tense 'се скъсвам от работа' fits the context of current busyness.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsNo, it's not rude, but it is informal. It's like saying 'I'm swamped' or 'I'm working my butt off' in English.
Yes! You can say 'Скъсвам се от учене' (I'm studying my tail off).
'Убивам се' (killing myself) is more dramatic and implies a higher level of exhaustion than 'скъсвам се' (tearing myself).
Yes, 'Скъсах се от работа' (I worked my tail off).
Generally no. Use 'Имам много ангажименти' (I have many commitments) instead.
Literally, yes. But in idioms, it acts as an intensifier for the action that follows 'от'.
Only ironically! It would mean 'I'm resting so hard it's exhausting'.
You would say 'Той ме скъсва от работа' (He is tearing me from work). Note that 'се' changes to 'ме' (me).
Related Phrases
Скъсвам се от смях
similarTo laugh very hard (laugh one's head off).
Убивам се от работа
synonymTo work oneself to death.
Работя като пчела
similarTo work like a bee.
Мързелувам
contrastTo be lazy / to do nothing.
