Korean slang profile
칼퇴
kaltoe
Leaving work right on time
Leaving work as soon as the scheduled finishing time arrives.
- Expanded form
- 칼같이 퇴근Leaving work right on time
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- 2013
- Documented trend period
- Not verified
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
오늘은 약속 있어서 칼퇴야.
I have plans today, so I'm leaving work right on time.
- Quoted from a source
칼퇴 (칼같이 정시에 퇴근)[1]
Leaving work precisely at the scheduled finishing time.
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- Spring 2013The National Institute of the Korean Language’s ‘New Korean Language Life’ Nuri communication network Saemal thesis included ‘칼퇴 (leave work on time like a knife)’ and ‘Julhwae (leave work happily)’ in the list of new words.[1]
03Origin & word formation
Short for 칼같이 정시에 퇴근, leaving work precisely on time. The spring 2013 issue of the National Institute of Korean Language's New Korean Language Life explicitly gives this explanation. Who first used it and when have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationHigh
A government publication explicitly explains the term. When it began is unknown.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 누리소통망과 새말의 형성 — 새국어생활 제23권 제1호(2013년 봄) (국립국어원)Published 2013Original source checked Nov 5, 2026