What does 갑질 (gapjil) mean?
- 갑질gapjil
Abuse of power
Fine in most situations
갑질 (gapjil) means abusing your power over people below you, like a boss humiliating staff or a customer screaming at a store worker. It is a common word in Korean news and everyday talk, and it is always a criticism.
Where it comes from
In Korean contracts, the stronger party is called 갑 and the weaker party 을. 질 is a suffix for an action, often a negative one. So 갑질 is "acting like the 갑", using your upper hand to mistreat others.
How to use 갑질
You hear 갑질 about bosses, rich customers, landlords or big companies who treat workers, tenants or smaller partners badly. Several real-life cases have led to public anger and new workplace rules in Korea.
The verb is 갑질하다, and someone who does it is sometimes called a 갑질 boss or 갑질 customer, for example 손님 갑질 (customer power trips). 을 is used for the side being mistreated.
It is a strong criticism but not a swear word, so it appears in news reports and polite conversation. Accusing someone of 갑질 to their face is confrontational.
Examples
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Pointing out unfair treatment
A cafe worker venting to a friend
Standing up to a rude boss
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 갑질하다 | To abuse one's power | Verb form. |
| 갑과 을 | The powerful side and the weaker side | The contract terms behind the word. |
| 갑질 논란 | Power abuse controversy | Common news phrase. |
| 슈퍼 갑 | Super gap | Someone with overwhelming power in a deal. |
Questions learners ask
What does gapjil mean?
It means abusing your power over people in a weaker position, like bosses mistreating staff or customers bullying workers.
What do gap and eul mean?
In Korean contracts, 갑 is the stronger party and 을 the weaker one. People now use them to describe any power imbalance.
Is gapjil a bad word?
It is not profanity, and it appears in the news. But it is always a criticism of someone's behavior.