Korean Proverbs

Koreans drop proverbs into everyday talk — at work, in dramas, in group chats. Each page gives the original, a word-for-word translation, what it really means, when people say it, and an example.

All proverbs

• 가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다Speak nicely and you'll be spoken to nicely.
• 콩 심은 데 콩 나고 팥 심은 데 팥 난다Every result comes from its own cause.
• 원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다Even an expert slips up sometimes.
• 호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다The person you're talking about shows up right then.
• 그림의 떡Something you want but can't actually have.
• 우물 안 개구리Someone who knows only their own small world and thinks it's everything.
• 소 잃고 외양간 고친다Taking precautions only after the damage is done.
• 돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라Double-check even things that seem completely safe.
• 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다When everyone wants to steer, the project goes nowhere sensible.
• 백지장도 맞들면 낫다Any task, however small, is easier with help.
• 하룻강아지 범 무서운 줄 모른다Beginners take on challenges without realizing how hard they are.
• 지렁이도 밟으면 꿈틀한다Even the meekest person pushes back if treated badly enough.
• 달면 삼키고 쓰면 뱉는다Sticking around only while it benefits you.
• 비 온 뒤에 땅이 굳어진다Getting through a hard time makes a bond or a person stronger.
• 구슬이 서 말이라도 꿰어야 보배Talent and resources are worth nothing until you put them to use.
• 낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다Someone is always listening, so watch what you say.
• 시작이 반이다The hardest part is beginning; once you start, you're halfway there.
• 천 리 길도 한 걸음부터Big goals are reached one small step at a time.
• 누워서 떡 먹기Something extremely easy.
• 배보다 배꼽이 더 크다The extras end up costing more than the main thing.
• 까마귀 날자 배 떨어진다An innocent coincidence that makes you look guilty.
• 아니 땐 굴뚝에 연기 날까Rumors usually have some cause behind them.
• 남의 떡이 더 커 보인다What others have always seems better than what you've got.
• 참새가 방앗간을 그냥 지나치랴Nobody can resist their favorite temptation.
• 고래 싸움에 새우 등 터진다When the powerful clash, the small ones nearby get hurt.
• 세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다Habits formed young are very hard to break.
• 열 번 찍어 안 넘어가는 나무 없다Keep trying and even a hard goal — or a hard heart — gives way.
• 하늘이 무너져도 솟아날 구멍이 있다However bad it gets, there's always a way out.
• 금강산도 식후경Eat first — nothing is enjoyable on an empty stomach.
• 쇠귀에 경 읽기Telling someone something they won't take in, however often you repeat it.
• 눈 감으면 코 베어 갈 세상A tough world where you have to stay alert or get cheated.
• 빈 수레가 요란하다People who know the least often talk the loudest.
• 벼는 익을수록 고개를 숙인다The wiser and more accomplished people are, the humbler they become.
• 개천에서 용 난다Someone from humble beginnings achieves something remarkable.
• 개구리 올챙이 적 생각 못 한다People who've made it forget how they once struggled.
• 모난 돌이 정 맞는다Stand out too much and you'll get criticized or pushed back into line.
• 손뼉도 마주쳐야 소리가 난다It takes both sides — to fight, to work together, or to fall in love.
• 팔은 안으로 굽는다People naturally take the side of their own family and friends.
• 하나를 보면 열을 안다One small action shows you what someone is like overall.
• 늦게 배운 도둑이 날 새는 줄 모른다People who discover a hobby late in life get completely absorbed in it.
• 발 없는 말이 천 리 간다What you say spreads far and fast, so be careful.
• 가랑비에 옷 젖는 줄 모른다Small things add up quietly until they become big.
• 티끌 모아 태산Tiny amounts, saved patiently, become something big.