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Say It Like Seoul

손절 What does 손절 mean in Korean?

son-jeol Slang Casual

Meaning

To cut someone out of your life, like selling a falling stock before you lose even more.

It sounds a little dry and strategic, which is exactly why people use it: it’s a decision, not a dramatic fight.

Where it comes from

손절매son-jeol-mae · selling a stock at a loss to stop losing more
손절Shortened, and now used for people: ending a relationship before it costs you more

Examples

계속 거짓말해서 그 친구 손절했어. He kept lying, so I cut him off.
약속을 세 번이나 어겼어? 손절각이다. They broke plans three times? Time to cut them off.
그 주식은 너무 떨어져서 손절했어. That stock dropped too much, so I sold at a loss. (the original meaning)

Grammar tip

Add 하다 to make it a verb. 각 (literally “angle”) is slang for “a situation that calls for”, so 손절각 means “time to cut ties”.

손절하다 · to cut someone off손절했어 · I cut them off손절각 · time to cut ties

Check yourself

What did 손절 mean originally?

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