21 phrases that could tell if you should be joining the Great Resignation.
Are you happy with your current job? If not, you’re part of the millions considering (or actually quitting) their current employment during the Great Resignation. Thanks, COVID!
Driven by the desire for better work life balance and to improve their careers, millions of people are upgrading their skill sets and resumes to pursue a better job. Learning a new language is definitely a good way to do that. That may seem a bit biased, seeing how our app will teach you useful phrases in a new language quickly. But we’re certainly not the only ones pointing this out.
Instead of going on about why you should learn a new language to polish up your employability, we’ll do what we do best - teach you useful phrases in a new language. Wherever you are on the job-satisfaction scale, here are 21 phrases in German, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Korean that you can use to moan, complain, or explain your current job situation or job search.
Here we go!
21 Phrases that suggest you’re ready for a career change
We recommend you only use these phrases with your close friends and family - probably not the right choice for the office. If you find yourself relating to these phrases, maybe it *is* time to join The Big Quit and look for that next career move!
I'm paid peanuts
German: Mein Lohn ist mickrig
Spanish: Me pagan cacahuetes
French: Je suis payé.e une misère
Japanese: 薄給だよ
Korean: 월급은 쥐꼬리만큼 받아요
If you do all the extra work, but get none of the recognition or pay rises to reflect it, this is the phrase you could use to vent your frustrations. Fun fact - using ‘peanuts’ to talk about something very insignificant or small dates wayyyy back to 1800s England.
I'm fed up with everything
German: Ich habe alles satt
Spanish: No aguanto más
French: Tout me saoule
Japanese: 何もかもうんざりだ
Korean: 난 이제 모든 게 지긋지긋해
It's hard to do a good job if your heart isn't in it anymore. If you catch yourself saying this phrase out loud, it's really time to reconsider.
It's not my dream job
German: Es ist nicht mein Traumjob
Spanish: No es mi trabajo ideal
French: C’est pas mon job de rêve
Japanese: 理想の仕事ではないね
Korean: 제 꿈의 직장은 아니에요
We get it, not every job is going to be ‘the one’, and this phrase is something you might say to justify remaining in your current position. But although it’s important to look at the bigger picture, your dream job is out there - you might just have to take the leap!
I'm extremely bored
German: Mir ist extrem langweilig
Spanish: Me aburro como un hongo
French: Je m’ennuie à mort
Japanese: 超つまんないよ
Korean: 저 너무 지루해요
This phrase is one way of communicating a red flag. No job is going to get you fired up every second of your working week, but if you find yourself clock-watching, finger tapping, or staring into space most of the day, it’s high time to find yourself something more motivating.
Should I quit?
German: Soll ich kündigen?
Spanish: ¿Debería dejarlo?
French: Devrais-je démissionner ?
Japanese: 仕事辞めた方がいいかな？
Korean: 저 퇴사할까요?
If you’re asking yourself this question, it probably tells you everything you need to know. In reality, it likely isn’t ‘should I quit?’ you should be thinking or asking, but more ‘what’s going to make me happy?’
If I quit my job, I'd be happier
German: Ich wäre glücklicher, wenn ich meinen Job kündigen würde
Spanish: Si dejara el trabajo, sería más feliz
French: Si je démissionnais, je serais plus heureux.se
Japanese: 仕事を辞めたら、もっと幸せになれると思う
Korean: 제가 일을 그만두면 더 행복할 것 같아요
If you’re making this statement, it’s pretty clear where your head is at. And that’s good! The hardest part of changing careers can be admitting it’s time to make the move and getting started with your new job search, so this is a really positive first step.
Phrases that suggest you don’t have a good work-life balance
Saying phrases out loud is a great way to learn a new language. But if you find yourself repeating *these* phrases to yourself, maybe it’s a good indication that your work-life balance is off.
I work like crazy!
German: Ich arbeite wie verrückt!
Spanish: ¡Trabajo una barbaridad!
French: Je travaille comme un.e malade !
Japanese: めちゃくちゃ働いてるよ！
Korean: 저 미친 듯이 일해요!
Use this phrase to explain that your work-life balance is out of whack. Kudos for the effort you’re putting in, but it’s probably not great for your mental health or life outside of work. We all need time to decompress and focus on the things we do for fun - so if work is taking over your life, it’s time to find something that lets you actually live, too.
I never thought I'd end up in an office
German: Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass ich mal in einem Büro landen würde
Spanish: No me imaginaba trabajando en una oficina
French: Jamais j’aurais pensé finir dans un bureau
Japanese: オフィスで働くなんて思いもしなかった
Korean: 제가 사무직으로 일하게 될 줄은 상상도 못했어요
This is how you can explain being bored of the traditional ‘commute to the office, sit in the office, commute back from the office’ working day. Luckily, it’s nowhere near as common as it once was, so there are plenty of possibilities if you feel stuck within those four walls. It’s way more important to do something in a place that makes you happy, than commit to office life because you feel you have to.
Thank God, it's Friday!
German: Endlich ist Freitag!
Spanish: ¡Menos mal que es viernes!
French: Dieu merci, c'est le dernier jour de la semaine !
Japanese: やっと金曜日だ！
Korean: 드디어 불금이다!
Feeling the pre-weekend burn out, every week? That’s not good. We all love it when Friday rolls around, but this phrase can mean it’s taking every sliver of effort for you to get there, and you should probably look for a job that offers a better work life balance.
I can't wait for payday
German: Ich kann den Zahltag kaum erwarten
Spanish: Qué ganas de que me llegue la nómina
French: J’ai vraiment hâte d’avoir ma paie
Japanese: 給料日が待ち遠しい
Korean: 월급날이 빨리 왔으면 좋겠어요
Same goes for your salary. If you’re saying this regularly and the last week of the month is a balancing act for you financially, it could be time to reassess what you’re getting paid for the amount of work you do.
Phrases that suggest your besties have clocked something you haven’t
If your friends or colleagues say these phrases to you, it might be time to reflect on your current work situation.
You need to switch off
German: Du musst abschalten
Spanish: Necesitas desconectar
French: Il faut que tu coupes
Japanese: 息抜きした方がいいよ
Korean: 신경을 좀 끄셔야 되겠어요
Heard this bandied around? Your close friends and family have obviously spotted a problem with how much you work. Could be time to have a rethink about how you’re feeling mentally, and look at a career move.
Do you like your job?
German: Magst du deinen Job?
Spanish: ¿Te gusta tu trabajo?
French: Tu aimes ton travail ?
Japanese: 仕事、好き？
Korean: 지금 하시는 일에 만족하세요?
If you’re being asked this question, it could be your loved ones’ subtle way of getting you to take a good look at whether your job is really giving you what you need.
Work-life balance is important
German: Die Work-Life-Balance ist wichtig
Spanish: La conciliación laboral es importante
French: L’équilibre vie pro-vie privée est important
Japanese: ワークライフバランスって大事だよね
Korean: 워라벨 중요해요
Again, if this phrase is popping up more often than usual, it could be a sign that you’re not prioritising your work life balance enough. On the flip side, if you’re hearing this from your boss, you’re on to a winner!
Phrases for jobs that lets you work from home or work remotely
One of the breakthroughs during the pandemic is that some employers are now letting staff work from anywhere. If you’re looking for a new job that lets you work from home, these phrases will come in handy for those Zoom calls!
You’re on mute
German: Du bist stumm geschaltet
Spanish: Tienes el micrófono silenciado
French: Tu es en silencieux
Japanese: ミュートになってますよ
Korean: 지금 음소거 됐어요
If 2020 was a catchphrase, this would be it! This is the phrase you need for that helplessly awkward moment when you can see someone chattering away in a virtual meeting, but you can’t hear a thing. They need to hit that ‘unmute’ button!
Can you see my screen?
German: Kannst du meinen Bildschirm sehen?
Spanish: ¿Ves mi pantalla?
French: Tu vois mon écran ?
Japanese: 私の画面、見えますか？
Korean: 제 화면 보이세요?
Ah, the joys of screen sharing. It’s pretty much a mandatory requirement to use this phrase at the precise moment you click to share your screen with the rest of the meeting. The second requirement? To breathe an inaudible sigh of relief when it’s worked flawlessly, or silently panic if your tech lets you down. Time to call IT support!
Use the raise hand button
German: Verwende die „melden“ Taste!
Spanish: ¡Dale al botón de levantar la mano!
French: Utilise l’option lever la main !
Japanese: 挙手ボタンを使ってね！
Korean: 손들기 버튼을 이용하세요!
Notice someone struggling to be heard in a meeting, or want to invite questions while you present? This is the phrase for you. Let everyone know they can put their virtual hand up with just a click.
You’re breaking up
German: Die Verbindung ist schlecht
Spanish: Se entrecorta
French: Ça coupe
Japanese: 音が切れてます
Korean: 자꾸 끊겨요
It’s happened to all of you digital nomads - the familiar crackle of an internet connection that’s not having a good day. Whether you’re saying this phrase or hearing it, it’s time for a reboot. But if it’s happening on every call, it might be time to find a job that gives you a better laptop!
Phrases that show you’re in the right place - woop!
Just because millions of people are switching jobs right now doesn’t mean that you have to! If you’re saying these phrases out loud, consider staying where you are right now.
I love what I do
German: Ich liebe, was ich tue
Spanish: Me encanta mi trabajo
French: J’adore ce que je fais
Japanese: 仕事が大好きです
Korean: 전 제가 하는 일이 좋아요
This is how you can phrase that you’re totally happy with your job - good for you! It tells people you have a great work life balance, and a career move isn’t what you’re after right now.
It's a great company to work for
German: Es ist großartig für diese Firma zu arbeiten
Spanish: Es una buena empresa donde trabajar
French: C’est une bonne boîte où travailler
Japanese: すごくいい会社だよ
Korean: 일하게 정말 좋은 회사예요
Giving your friends and family reasons why you’re content where you are? This is a phrase you can use to explain that your company treats you well and pulls out all the stops for its employees.
Yay, I'm finishing work early today!
German: Juhu, ich bin heute früher mit der Arbeit fertig!
Spanish: ¡Bien! ¡Hoy salgo antes del trabajo!
French: Youhou, je finis tôt aujourd’hui !
Japanese: やった、今日は早くあがれる！
Korean: 아싸, 오늘 일찍 퇴근할 것 같아요!
The phrase we all love to say, which means it’s time to clock off before the working day is done. Not only is this how you can tell your colleagues that you won’t be around at a certain time, but it’s also a great hint that your job gives you flexibility and time to do other things.
Shall we go for drinks after work?
German: Gehen wir nach der Arbeit etwas trinken?
Spanish: ¿Vamos a tomar algo después del trabajo?
French: On va boire un verre après le boulot ?
Japanese: 仕事帰りに飲みに行こうか？
Korean: 오늘 퇴근하고 한 잔 콜?
Looking for a phrase to encourage workplace bonding? This is all you need! If the only thing missing from your day job is some after-work conversation and a few drinks, this is an easy way to invite your workmates to join you. And if they’re keen to join you, you might be in the exact right place with just the right people.
So there you have it - all the key phrases that’ll help you figure out and explain your feelings about your career, and whether it’s time to move on or stick with it.
Here at Memrise, we’d love to help you get started on your language journey and give you the tools you need to take your career wherever you want it to go.
Sign up here now and start learning one of the over 20 languages we teach on our app. You’ll learn phrases that are not only important to know, but say them how the locals really do. With thousands of videos of native speakers showing you how it’s done, you could be joining the Great Resignation before you know it.
Want to improve your language skills straightaway? Download the Memrise app from your app store right now and start learning to speak like a local!