Korean slang profile
케바케
kebake
Case by case
An expression meaning that the answer depends on the situation, abbreviated from the English phrase “case by case.”
- Expanded form
- case by caseCase by case
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Feb 2016
- Documented trend period
- Around 2016~
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
맛집이 어떤지는 케바케지.
Whether a restaurant lives up to its reputation depends on the case.
- Quoted from a source
‘케이스 바이 케이스(Case by case)’라는 말을 줄여 ‘케바케’라고 쓰는데[1]
The term ‘Case by case’ is abbreviated as ‘케바케’.
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- February 2016AhnLab Security Magazine introduced ‘사바사’ and explained the meaning of the related expression ‘케바케’ as an abbreviation for ‘Case by case’.[1]
03Origin & word formation
Short for the English “case by case.” The February 2016 issue of AhnLab's magazine explicitly gives this explanation. Who first used it and when have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationHigh
The magazine explicitly explains the term. When it was first used is unknown.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 월간 安 2016년 2월호 — 디지털 네이티브의 ‘신조어’ 따라잡기 (안랩)Published Feb 2016Original source checked Nov 5, 2026