Korean Part Time Job Words: Alba Vocabulary for Working Holiday
Heading to Korea on a working holiday visa? Here's the essential vocabulary for finding and working a part-time job — starting with 알바 (alba), the everyday word for a part-time gig, plus 시급 (hourly wage) and 면접 (interview).
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
If you’re arriving in Korea on a working holiday visa from Taiwan, a part-time job is probably one of your first stops — and the vocabulary is different from full-time office Korean. This article covers the words you’ll actually see and hear: from 알바 (the everyday word for a part-time gig) to 시급 (hourly wage) and 사장님 (boss), plus the phrases you need to ask about shifts. Learn these and you can job-hunt and work a counter or kitchen shift with real confidence.
The basics: finding an alba
Almost every part-time job conversation in Korea starts with these words.
The single most useful phrase to know before you even walk into a store is 알바 구해요 (al-ba gu-hae-yo), “I’m looking for a part-time job.” Say it at a counter, write it in a message, or use it to search job apps — it works everywhere. If you’re aiming for a full-time role instead, the vocabulary and process are different — see our guides on Korean job hunting and Korean job interviews.
On the job: people and shifts
Once you’ve got the job, this is the vocabulary you’ll use every shift.
To ask about your schedule, use 몇 시부터 몇 시까지예요? (myeot si-bu-teo myeot si-kka-ji-ye-yo), “from what time to what time is it?” It works for shifts, interview slots, or store hours alike — one phrase covers a lot of ground on day one.
A pay concept worth knowing: 주휴수당
There’s one more word that comes up a lot in part-time work conversations: 주휴수당 (ju-hyu-su-dang), a weekly paid rest allowance concept tied to working a regular set schedule. It’s a common topic among alba workers in Korea, but the specific eligibility rules and rates are set by Korean labor law and do change — so treat this article as vocabulary only, and check with your employer or an official source for the actual numbers that apply to you. On the workplace-culture side, calling your manager 사장님 rather than by name is standard and shows respect, even at a small cafe or convenience store. For more everyday workplace expressions once you’re settled in, see our Korean workplace basics guide — it pairs well with the alba vocabulary here for anyone settling into a working holiday routine in Korea.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'alba' mean in Korean?
알바 (al-ba) is short for 아르바이트 (a-reu-ba-i-teu), a Konglish word borrowed from the German 'Arbeit' (work) that means a part-time or casual job. It is the word Koreans use for everyday, hourly-paid work like a cafe shift or retail job, as opposed to a full-time career position.
You will see it everywhere on job apps and store windows in Korea.
How do I ask about part-time job hours in Korean?
A useful phrase is 몇 시부터 몇 시까지예요? (myeot si-bu-teo myeot si-kka-ji-ye-yo), meaning 'from what time to what time is it?
' You can use this to ask about a shift, an interview slot, or a store's opening hours. Pair it with 알바 구해요 (al-ba gu-hae-yo), 'I'm looking for a part-time job,' when you are job hunting in person or messaging a manager.
What is 주휴수당?
주휴수당 (ju-hyu-su-dang) is a weekly paid rest allowance concept in Korean part-time work — extra pay tied to working a set schedule regularly during the week. The exact eligibility rules and amounts are set by Korean labor law and can change, so always confirm current details with your employer or an official source rather than relying on general vocabulary articles like this one.