Korean word

먹고살다

Pronunciation

Romanizationmeokkkosalda

Meaning

  • verbmake a living

Example

혼자서도 잘 먹고살아요.hon ja seo do chal meok kko sa ra yo

I can make a living on my own.

Illustration for 먹고살다 (make a living)

More examples

아르바이트만으로 하루하루 먹고살아요.a reu ba i teu ma neu ro ha ru ha ru meok kko sa ra yo

I make ends meet day by day with just a part-time job.

Core concept

Keeping life going through the income needed for ordinary necessities.

Common phrases

  • 겨우 먹고살아요kyeo u meok kko sa ra yo

    barely make a living

  • 하루하루 먹고살아요ha ru ha ru meok kko sa ra yo

    make ends meet day by day

Similar words

벌다peolda: Earn money as payment for work or effort.
벌어먹다peoreomeoktta: Live on money earned through work.
살아가다saragada: Continue living and managing daily life in changing circumstances.
버티다peotida: Keep going through a difficult situation until it ends.

Definition in Korean

먹을 것을 마련할 만큼의 수입으로 생활하다.meo geul kkeo seul ma ryeon hal man keu mui su i beu ro saeng hwal ha da

Word origin

The word developed as a compound meaning to eat while living, which came to describe sustaining daily life.

Usage tips

  • A context about difficulty can make the expression feel closer to scraping by, while a neutral context simply describes self-support.

Other meanings

  • eke out a livingverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word