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BADASS KOREAN

Being Bad in Korea · KOREAN SLANG

삽질하다

sab-jil-ha-da

do something pointless a wasted effort

What does 삽질하다 mean?

do something pointless a wasted effort.

From the original card

Literally "digging a ditch." Korean military service is mandatory, and as there is often nothing for the conscript to do but dig ditches, that's what they end up doing... wasting time doing needless work.

From the published Badass Korean archive. Slang depends on the relationship and setting; historical explanations and origin stories have not been newly reviewed. Some cards include profanity, insults, or sexual language.

삽질하다 — do something pointless a wasted effort; original illustrated Korean slang flashcard
Original illustrated card · View full size ↗