· Slangdunk Editors
What does 케바케 (kebake) mean? Korean slang for “it depends” that, depending on the case, English speakers don't get
케바케 (kebake) is Korean shorthand for the English “case by case,” used to mean “it depends.” It spawned a whole family of “X-by-X” words — 사바사 for “depends on the person,” 회바회 for “depends on the company.” In English itself, “it depends” is the natural phrase.
At a glance
- Meaning
- Short for “case by case,” but used in Korean to mean “it depends.”
- Spin-offs
- Swap in any word plus 바 (“by”): 사바사 (person by person), 회바회 (company by company), 점바점 (branch by branch).
- Origin
- An Ulsan Press column says it grew out of the preference for abbreviations on social media; Namuwiki says it rose as a buzzword in the late 2010s.
- In English
- English “case by case” means handling things one at a time. For “it depends,” English speakers just say “it depends.”
Lunchtime. Emily, a coworker from the U.S., asks her Korean colleague Jisoo about a word their manager used three times in the morning meeting. She never figured it out. The characters are invented, but every fact in their conversation has a source.
What does 케바케 (kebake) mean? A Korean coworker explains
- Emily (29, U.S.)Jisoo, the manager said “that's 케바케” earlier. What's 케바케? Some kind of cake?
- Jisoo (27)Not cake. It's English: case by case, shortened. It means “it depends.”
- Emily (29, U.S.)English? I'm a native speaker and I've never heard it.
- Jisoo (27)That's because the shortening happened in Korea. An Ulsan Press column said it came from people loving abbreviations on social media.
- Emily (29, U.S.)But back home “case by case” sounds like “we'll handle each one separately.”
- Jisoo (27)Right. Namuwiki says the dictionary sense is “one case at a time,” but in Korea it usually means “it depends.” In English you'd just say it depends.
- Emily (29, U.S.)What if it depends on the person?
- Jisoo (27)사바사: person by person. Company by company is 회바회, branch by branch is 점바점. Put in any word and add 바.
- Emily (29, U.S.)Handy. So I can answer every question with “케바케.”
- Jisoo (27)Careful. Namuwiki says calling something 케바케 just because there are a few exceptions is overusing it. And in Western settings, answering only “it depends” with no general view can come across as brushing someone off.
- Emily (29, U.S.)Since when do people say it?
- Jisoo (27)Nobody knows who said it first. Namuwiki says it became a buzzword in the late 2010s. Now it's so common it's just everyday Korean.
- Emily (29, U.S.)So if the manager asks whether I'm coming to the team dinner?
- Jisoo (27)That's not 케바케. You go. That's 국룰 (the unwritten rule).
케바케
Short for “case by case.” In Korean it means the answer or outcome depends on the situation — “it depends.”
In Korean: '케이스 바이 케이스(case by case)'의 줄임말. 상황에 따라 결과나 답이 달라진다는 뜻.
- 야근 수당 나오냐고? 그건 회사마다 케바케야Do you get overtime pay? That's 케바케, depends on the company.Job seekers' group chat
- 소개팅 첫 만남에 더치페이? 솔직히 케바케 아닐까Splitting the bill on a first blind date? Honestly, isn't that 케바케?Dating-advice forum
- 이 약 효과는 케바케라서 일단 써 보고 판단하세요Results with this one are 케바케, so try it and see.Skincare review comment
- 케바케 말고 네 생각을 물어본 거야I didn't ask for 케바케, I asked what you think.To a friend dodging the question
Why has 케바케 lasted so long?
Three syllables replace a whole sentence, and the “X-by-X” mold lets you mint new words on the spot. Above all, it's useful in front of awkward questions. But as Namuwiki points out, 케바케 is itself a generalization: use it to brush off a clear trend and it's not far from 뇌피셜, a claim backed by nothing but your own head.
케바케 (kebake): frequently asked questions
Q. What does 케바케 mean?
It's short for “case by case” and means “it depends on the situation.”
Q. What's the difference between 케바케 and 사바사?
케바케 means it depends on the case; 사바사, short for 사람 바이 사람 (person by person), means it depends on the person. In practice people use them interchangeably.
Q. How do you say 케바케 in English?
English “case by case” is closer to “one at a time.” For the Korean sense, say “it depends”; online, “YMMV” (your mileage may vary) also works.
Q. What does 케바케인 mean?
It's 케바케 conjugated as an adjective, as in “그건 케바케인 것 같아” — “I think that's one of those it-depends things.”
Q. When did people start saying 케바케?
Who first used it is unconfirmed. Namuwiki says it became a buzzword in the late 2010s, and an Ulsan Press column ties it to social-media abbreviation culture.
So: 케바케 was borrowed from English, shortened in Korea and given a Korean meaning — which is why, depending on the case, English speakers don't get it. Emily said “It's 케바케” in that afternoon's meeting, and the manager looked very pleased. If you have a sharper definition, add it to the 케바케 entry in the dictionary.
Sources
See ‘케바케’ in the dictionary — more definitions, examples, and your own take.
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