빡세다 (ppakseda) — Demanding. Intense.
Lesson 35 in our Korean Slang series, adapted from Korean Your Teacher Doesn’t Teach You by Injin Hwang.
What 빡세다 means
Describe a tough schedule, workout, or workload. A packed schedule, demanding training session, or tough class can all be 빡세다. The casual tone is stronger than 힘들다.
A short conversation
A: 오늘 일정 어때?
B: 회의가 많아서 좀 빡세.
A: How's today looking?
B: Pretty intense. Lots of meetings.
Use it with care
Rough casual language, not suitable for formal reports. 힘들어요 is more neutral. The expression is most natural with friends or in an informal setting unless the context suggests otherwise.
A neutral or polite alternative: 오늘 일정이 많이 힘들어요.
Today’s schedule is very demanding.
Try it yourself
Which is safer in a formal email: 빡세요 or 힘듭니다?
Answer: 힘듭니다. Read the Korean conversation aloud and try changing one detail to fit your own day.
Based on the author’s slang collection, with additional learning notes. AI-generated illustration created for this lesson. Browse the Korean Slang series.
Keep exploring Korean expressions in the Korean slang book on Amazon.
