240 Korean proverbs

Fill in the key word, then learn what the proverb really means and when Koreans actually say it.

Beginner

• 티끌 모아 태산 — Even the smallest amounts add up to something great if you keep collecting them.
• 시작이 반이다 — Simply starting a task means you're already halfway done.
• 발 없는 말이 천 리 간다 — Words spread far and fast, so you should be careful what you say.
• 가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다 — If I speak kindly to others, they'll speak kindly back to me.
• 세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다 — A habit formed in childhood is hard to break even in old age.
• 낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다 — Even when no one seems to be around, words always get overheard somehow.
• 하늘의 별 따기 — It's an extremely difficult thing to achieve.
• 누워서 떡 먹기 — It's an extremely easy thing to do.
• 식은 죽 먹기 — It's a very easy thing that takes no effort at all.
• 그림의 떡 — Something you can't have no matter how much you like it.
• 소 잃고 외양간 고친다 — You only take action after something has already gone wrong.
• 우물 안 개구리 — You think what you know is everything because you don't know the wider world.
• 원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다 — Even someone very skilled can make a mistake sometimes.
• 호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다 — If you're talking about someone, that person tends to show up right then.
• 등잔 밑이 어둡다 — You often fail to notice the thing that's closest to you.
• 백지장도 맞들면 낫다 — Even a very easy task is better done together.
• 열 번 찍어 안 넘어가는 나무 없다 — If you keep at something persistently, it will eventually succeed.
• 천 리 길도 한 걸음부터 — Even a great task begins with one small first step.
• 배보다 배꼽이 더 크다 — The secondary part ends up bigger than the main part it belongs to.
• 아니 땐 굴뚝에 연기 날까 — There's no effect without a cause.
• 돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라 — Even when something looks certain, check again before acting.
• 병 주고 약 준다 — Someone causes harm, then pretends to help.
• 고래 싸움에 새우 등 터진다 — When powerful people fight, it's the weak who suffer for it.
• 급할수록 돌아가라 — The more urgent things are, the more you should take the sure, careful route instead of rushing.
• 뛰는 놈 위에 나는 놈 있다 — There's always someone even better above the person who's good.
• 하나를 보고 열을 안다 — You can guess the whole from seeing just one part.
• 열 길 물속은 알아도 한 길 사람 속은 모른다 — A person's heart is hard to know, no matter how close you are.
• 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다 — When too many people meddle, things go off in the wrong direction.
• 콩 심은 데 콩 나고 팥 심은 데 팥 난다 — You reap what you sow — the outcome matches the cause.
• 시장이 반찬이다 — When you're hungry, anything tastes good.
• 옷이 날개다 — Dressing well can make a person look completely different.
• 말이 씨가 된다 — What you say has a way of actually coming true.
• 비 온 뒤에 땅이 굳어진다 — Going through hardship together can actually make things stronger afterward.
• 첫술에 배부르랴 — You can't expect big results right from the start.
• 가랑비에 옷 젖는 줄 모른다 — Small things pile up until, before you know it, they've become a big result.
• 바늘 도둑이 소 도둑 된다 — If you let a small wrongdoing slide, it grows into a big one.
• 호랑이 굴에 들어가야 호랑이 새끼를 잡는다 — You have to take a risk to gain something great.
• 밑 빠진 독에 물 붓기 — It's a hopeless effort no matter how hard you try.
• 언 발에 오줌 누기 — It's a quick fix that seems to help for a moment but soon makes things worse.
• 목마른 놈이 우물 판다 — The person who needs something most urgently is the one who steps up first to do the work.
• 꿩 먹고 알 먹기 — You get two benefits from a single action.
• 도랑 치고 가재 잡는다 — You do one task and get a bonus benefit along with it.
• 참새가 방앗간을 그저 지나랴 — You can't just pass by the thing you love.
• 개똥도 약에 쓰려면 없다 — Even something common becomes hard to find right when you actually need it.
• 굼벵이도 구르는 재주가 있다 — Even someone who seems unimpressive has at least one thing they're good at.
• 지렁이도 밟으면 꿈틀한다 — Even the mildest person will react if pushed too far.
• 빈 수레가 요란하다 — A person with no real substance tends to make the most noise.
• 벼는 익을수록 고개를 숙인다 — The more accomplished a person is, the more humble they tend to be.
• 하늘이 무너져도 솟아날 구멍이 있다 — No matter how dire things get, there's always a way out.
• 쥐구멍에도 볕 들 날 있다 — Even someone going through hard times will eventually have good days.
• 마른하늘에 날벼락 — A bad thing happens suddenly, completely out of nowhere.
• 자라 보고 놀란 가슴 솥뚜껑 보고 놀란다 — Once badly frightened, you get scared of anything that even resembles it.
• 우는 아이 젖 준다 — You only get what you want by speaking up and asking for it.
• 아는 길도 물어 가라 — Even something you know well, do carefully and double-check.
• 가재는 게 편 — People in similar situations tend to take each other's side.
• 도토리 키 재기 — People who are all about the same level squabble over who's better.
• 소문난 잔치에 먹을 것 없다 — Something loudly hyped turns out to have no real substance.
• 될성부른 나무는 떡잎부터 알아본다 — A person destined for success stands out even from a young age.
• 믿는 도끼에 발등 찍힌다 — You get hurt by the very person you trusted.
• 세월이 약이다 — Given enough time, pain fades on its own.

Intermediate

• 원수는 외나무다리에서 만난다 — You end up running into someone you wanted to avoid in a place there's no escaping.
• 금강산도 식후경 — Even the finest things can only be enjoyed once you've eaten.
• 소 귀에 경 읽기 — No matter how much you explain, it just doesn't get through.
• 뚝배기보다 장맛 — What's inside matters more than the outward appearance.
• 낫 놓고 기역 자도 모른다 — So uneducated that you don't even recognize the simplest letter.
• 서당 개 삼 년이면 풍월을 읊는다 — If you watch and listen long enough, you naturally pick it up.
• 호미로 막을 것을 가래로 막는다 — Failing to deal with something small means it takes much greater effort later.
• 낙숫물이 댓돌을 뚫는다 — Even small effort, kept up over time, achieves something great.
• 남의 떡이 커 보인다 — What belongs to others always looks better than what's yours.
• 누워서 침 뱉기 — Trying to harm someone else ends up hurting you instead.
• 제 발 저리다 — Someone who's done something wrong grows anxious on their own.
• 똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다 — The person with the bigger fault is the one blaming someone else.
• 말 한마디에 천 냥 빚도 갚는다 — The right words can resolve even the most difficult situation.
• 윗물이 맑아야 아랫물이 맑다 — Those below follow suit only when those above set a proper example.
• 구슬이 서 말이라도 꿰어야 보배 — Even something excellent has no value until it's put to use.
• 가지 많은 나무에 바람 잘 날 없다 — The more children or worries you have, the less peace you get.
• 개천에서 용 난다 — A remarkable person emerges from humble surroundings.
• 엎친 데 덮친 격 — One bad thing is compounded by yet another bad thing.
• 원숭이 볼기짝 같다 — A way of describing something as very red.
• 구르는 돌은 이끼가 안 낀다 — A person who keeps actively moving doesn't fall behind.
• 아 다르고 어 다르다 — The same message can feel completely different depending on how it's phrased.
• 열 손가락 깨물어 안 아픈 손가락 없다 — No child is any less precious than another to a parent.
• 빈대 잡으려고 초가삼간 태운다 — Trying to get rid of something small ends up destroying something much bigger.
• 급히 먹는 떡이 목에 멘다 — Rushing tends to cause trouble instead.
• 말 타면 종 부리고 싶다 — Getting one thing only makes you want the next.
• 못된 송아지 엉덩이에 뿔 난다 — It's often the least capable person who pushes forward and shows off the most.
• 가는 정이 있어야 오는 정이 있다 — You have to give affection first for affection to come back to you.
• 산 넘어 산이다 — Just when one difficulty is over, an even bigger one appears.
• 백 번 듣는 것이 한 번 보는 것만 못하다 — Seeing something with your own eyes beats hearing about it a hundred times.
• 가랑잎이 솔잎더러 바스락거린다 한다 — The person who is louder is the one accusing someone else of being loud.
• 뛰어야 벼룩 — No matter how hard you try to run, you won't get far — you'll soon be caught.
• 혹 떼러 갔다 혹 붙여 온다 — Trying to gain something ends up leaving you with an even bigger burden.
• 미운 놈 떡 하나 더 준다 — The person you dislike is exactly the one you should treat even better.
• 떡 줄 사람은 생각도 않는데 김칫국부터 마신다 — You get your hopes up all on your own before the other person has even decided anything.
• 같은 값이면 다홍치마 — If the price is the same, you might as well choose the better option.
• 원님 덕에 나발 분다 — You get treated better than you deserve, thanks to someone else.
• 오르지 못할 나무는 쳐다보지도 마라 — Don't even set your heart on something that's impossible from the start.
• 똥이 무서워 피하나 더러워 피하지 — You avoid someone not because you're afraid of them but because you don't want to deal with them.
• 말은 해야 맛이고 고기는 씹어야 맛이다 — What needs to be said should be said, and what needs to be experienced should be experienced.
• 처음이 어렵지 나중은 쉽다 — Once you get past the start, everything after is much easier.
• 약방에 감초 — A person or thing that shows up everywhere without fail.
• 꿩 대신 닭 — When you can't get exactly what you want, you substitute something similar.
• 웃는 낯에 침 못 뱉는다 — It's hard to get angry at someone who treats you kindly.
• 윗돌 빼서 아랫돌 괸다 — Just shuffling a temporary fix from one place to another without solving anything.
• 소도 언덕이 있어야 비빈다 — You need something to lean on before you can accomplish anything.
• 말 안 하면 귀신도 모른다 — If you don't speak up, nobody will ever know.
• 돌부리를 차면 발부리만 아프다 — Getting needlessly angry only ends up hurting yourself.
• 떡 본 김에 제사 지낸다 — You take advantage of a lucky opportunity to get something else done too.
• 열 사람이 지켜도 한 도둑 못 막는다 — Someone determined enough is hard to stop no matter how much you guard against them.
• 부뚜막의 소금도 집어넣어야 짜다 — No matter how close something is, it only produces a result once you actually use it.
• 뿌린 대로 거둔다 — You get results that match what you put in.
• 구관이 명관이다 — Someone experienced really does turn out to be better.
• 사촌이 땅을 사면 배가 아프다 — It stings a little when someone close to you does well, even though it shouldn't.
• 여름 불도 쬐다 나면 서운하다 — Even something you found annoying feels like a loss once it's gone.
• 말 많은 집은 장맛도 쓰다 — A household full of arguing and talk rarely has things go well.
• 고생 끝에 낙이 온다 — If you endure a hard time, good days will follow.
• 가랑이가 찢어진다 — Trying too hard to keep up with someone beyond your means puts you under serious strain.
• 아닌 밤중에 홍두깨 — Something unexpected happens suddenly, out of nowhere.
• 궁하면 통한다 — When things get truly desperate, a way out tends to open up.
• 대롱으로 하늘 보기 — Like looking through a narrow tube, you see only a part, never the whole.

Advanced

• 개구리 올챙이 적 생각 못 한다 — Once things get better, people forget how hard it used to be.
• 못 먹는 감 찔러나 본다 — If you can't have something yourself, you'd rather ruin it than let anyone else have it.
• 처녀가 애를 낳아도 할 말이 있다 — Everyone has some excuse ready, no matter what.
• 숭어가 뛰니까 망둥이도 뛴다 — Someone follows along without knowing their own limits.
• 절에 가면 중 노릇 하고 싶다 — Someone's mind changes with no conviction of their own, shifting with whatever's around them.
• 까마귀 날자 배 떨어진다 — Two unrelated things happen to coincide, and you get wrongly suspected because of it.
• 오뉴월 하룻볕도 무섭다 — Even a short span of time can make a surprisingly big difference.
• 쇠뿔도 단김에 빼라 — Once you've made up your mind, act on it right away.
• 봇짐 내어 주며 앉으라 한다 — Someone tells you to leave while pretending to ask you to stay.
• 귀에 걸면 귀걸이 코에 걸면 코걸이 — Without a fixed standard, the same thing gets interpreted however is convenient at the time.
• 염불에는 마음이 없고 잿밥에만 마음이 있다 — The actual task is an afterthought while all the focus goes to personal gain.
• 평안 감사도 저 싫으면 그만이다 — Even the best position in the world is meaningless if the person doesn't want it.
• 말 타고 꽃구경 — Skimming past something carelessly instead of taking it in properly.
• 수박 겉 핥기 — Touching only the surface without understanding what's underneath.
• 까마귀 고기를 먹었나 — A teasing way of calling someone forgetful.
• 뱁새가 황새 따라가면 다리가 찢어진다 — Forcing yourself to keep up with something beyond your means causes real trouble.
• 열의 한 술 밥이 한 그릇 푼푼하다 — When many people each chip in a little, it adds up to plenty for one person.
• 우물을 파도 한 우물을 파라 — Stick to one thing instead of spreading yourself across many.
• 종로에서 뺨 맞고 한강에서 눈 흘긴다 — You get hurt in one place and take it out on someone unrelated somewhere else.
• 가난 구제는 나라도 못 한다 — Even a whole nation can't fully solve someone else's poverty — there's a limit to how much you can help.
• 나무만 보고 숲을 보지 못한다 — Getting caught up in details and missing the bigger picture.
• 하룻강아지 범 무서운 줄 모른다 — Someone with no experience charges in fearlessly.
• 모난 돌이 정 맞는다 — Someone who stands out too much draws resentment from others.
• 산에 가야 범을 잡지 — You have to go to where the goal actually is to achieve it.
• 가물에 콩 나듯 — Something happens only very rarely, few and far between.
• 개 발에 편자 — Something doesn't suit or fit the situation at all.
• 빛 좋은 개살구 — Looks impressive on the outside but has no real substance.
• 보기 좋은 떡이 먹기도 좋다 — When something looks good, it tends to be good too.
• 아이 말도 귀담아 들어라 — There's something worth listening to in what anyone says, no matter who they are.
• 꿈보다 해몽이 좋다 — The interpretation given to something sounds better than the thing itself.
• 듣기 좋은 꽃노래도 한두 번 — Even something pleasant grows tiresome if it's repeated too much.
• 궁지에 몰린 쥐가 고양이를 문다 — Even the weaker side will fight back once cornered.
• 방귀 뀐 놈이 성낸다 — The person in the wrong is the one who gets angry first.
• 핑계 없는 무덤 없다 — Every situation can be dressed up with some plausible-sounding reason.
• 구더기 무서워 장 못 담글까 — A minor worry shouldn't stop you from doing what needs to be done.
• 부부 싸움은 칼로 물 베기 — A married couple may fight, but they make up again soon enough.
• 아니 되는 놈은 뒤로 넘어져도 코가 깨진다 — When your luck is bad, trouble finds you even from directions you'd never expect.
• 계란으로 바위 치기 — Taking on an opponent you clearly can't beat.
• 병에 걸려야 약 귀한 줄 안다 — You only realize how precious something is after you've lost it.
• 삼 년 가뭄에는 살아도 석 달 장마에는 못 산다 — A long stretch of rain does more damage than a long drought.
• 굴러온 돌이 박힌 돌 뺀다 — A newcomer pushes out someone who was already there.
• 똥 누러 갈 적 마음 다르고 올 적 마음 다르다 — A person's attitude changes completely between when they need something and when they don't.
• 앉아서 주고 서서 받는다 — It's easy to lend money, but hard work to get it back.
• 공든 탑이 무너지랴 — Something built with real care and effort doesn't easily fall apart.
• 가난한 집 제사 돌아오듯 — Something hard to bear keeps coming around again and again.
• 말은 보태고 떡은 뗀다 — Words swell bigger with each retelling, while things shrink with each handling.
• 급하면 바늘허리에 실 매어 쓸까 — No matter how urgent things are, you can't skip the necessary steps.
• 아까운 것은 남 주고 못난 것은 제가 갖는다 — Someone acts generous on the surface while really keeping the good part for themselves.
• 팔이 안으로 굽는다 — People naturally take the side of those closest to them.
• 숯이 검정 나무란다 — The person with the bigger fault is the one criticizing someone else.
• 소 뒷걸음질 치다 쥐 잡는다 — You stumble onto an unexpected result purely by chance.
• 첫 단추를 잘못 끼우다 — Something goes wrong from the very start, throwing everything after it off.
• 말 잘하고 징역 가랴 — Speaking well can get you through even the toughest situation.
• 물이 깊을수록 소리가 없다 — The more substance a person has, the less they tend to make noise about it.
• 까마귀가 백로 되랴 — A person's true nature doesn't easily change.
• 방 안의 풍수 — Someone who talks endlessly in theory without ever experiencing the real thing.
• 오뉴월 감기는 개도 안 걸린다 — A teasing remark about someone who caught a cold in the middle of summer.
• 떨어진 주머니에 어패 들었다 — Something looks shabby on the outside but has something impressive inside.
• 없는 놈이 있는 체 못난 놈이 잘난 체 — The less someone actually has, the more they tend to put on airs.
• 재주는 곰이 넘고 돈은 주인이 번다 — One person does all the hard work while someone else takes the profit.

Expert

• 봄볕은 며느리 쬐이고 가을볕은 딸 쬐인다 — The better treatment goes to the one who's more precious to you. Spring sun tans the skin more, so it's the daughter-in-law who gets sent out into it.
• 솔개도 오래면 꿩을 잡는다 — Do anything long enough, and you eventually get good at it.
• 처삼촌 뫼에 벌초하듯 — To rush through a task with no care at all.
• 남의 염병이 내 고뿔만 못하다 — My own small discomfort feels bigger than someone else's real suffering.
• 가는 방망이 오는 홍두깨 — A little harm you do comes back much bigger.
• 등겨 먹던 개는 들켜도 쌀 먹던 개는 안 들킨다 — Small wrongs get caught while the big ones stay hidden.
• 홍시 먹다가 이 빠진다 — An accident happens even in the easiest of tasks.
• 노루 꼬리가 길면 얼마나 길까 — Something that's small to begin with can only improve so much.
• 참깨가 기니 짧으니 한다 — Arguing over which is better among things that are all about the same.
• 오라는 데는 없어도 갈 데는 많다 — No one's inviting you anywhere, yet you still have plenty of places to be.
• 도둑이 매를 든다 — The one at fault turns around and acts outraged instead.
• 굿이나 보고 떡이나 먹지 — Don't butt in — just stay out of it and take whatever benefit comes your way.
• 미꾸라지 한 마리가 온 웅덩이를 흐린다 — One person's wrongdoing ruins things for everyone.
• 자다가 봉창 두드린다 — Saying something completely out of the blue that makes no sense.
• 어물전 망신은 꼴뚜기가 시킨다 — One poor performer drags down the reputation of the whole group.
• 초록은 동색 — People in the same situation stick together.
• 사흘 굶어 담 아니 넘을 놈 없다 — Desperate enough, and anyone will resort to wrongdoing.
• 개똥밭에 굴러도 이승이 좋다 — No matter how hard it gets, being alive still beats the alternative.
• 우물가에 숭늉 찾는다 — Skipping every step and demanding the result right away.
• 하나만 알고 둘은 모른다 — Seeing only one side and missing the bigger picture.
• 절에 가서 젓국 달라 한다 — Asking for something in a place where it could never exist.
• 나무에 오르라 하고 흔든다 — Egging someone on, then working against them from behind.
• 게도 구럭도 다 잃었다 — Losing out on both things at once, this and that alike.
• 삼십육계 줄행랑이 으뜸 — When you can't win, the best move is to get out.
• 못된 나무에 열매가 많다 — Something that looks worthless ends up causing the most trouble.
• 여우를 피하려다 호랑이를 만난다 — Trying to dodge a small misfortune only to run into a much bigger one.
• 되로 주고 말로 받는다 — You give a little, and it comes back to you many times over.
• 남의 잔치에 감 놔라 배 놔라 한다 — Butting into someone else's affairs that are none of your business.
• 눈 감으면 코 베어 간다 — The world is so rough that you can never let your guard down.
• 서투른 무당이 장구만 나무란다 — Someone with no real skill blames their tools instead.
• 물에 빠진 놈 건져 놓으니 보따리 내놓으라 한다 — Instead of showing gratitude, the person turns around and makes demands.
• 개구멍에 망건 치기 — A completely pointless effort, wildly out of place for what it's used on.
• 우선 먹기는 곶감이 달다 — Chasing what feels good right now, at the cost of what comes later.
• 달면 삼키고 쓰면 뱉는다 — Taking whatever benefits you and tossing aside whatever doesn't — pure self-interest.
• 삼밭에 나는 쑥 — The right surroundings straighten you out without even trying.
• 눈 위에 서리 친다 — One hardship piles right on top of another.
• 도둑을 맞으려면 개도 안 짖는다 — When your luck turns bad, even the things that always worked stop working.
• 부뚜막에 앉은 고양이 같다 — Looking demure on the outside while scheming on the inside.
• 배 먹고 이 닦기 — Getting two benefits from a single act.
• 벼룩도 낯짝이 있다 — No matter how shameless someone is, they should still have a minimum sense of decency.
• 남이 장에 가니 거름지고 나선다 — Following along with everyone else without even knowing why.
• 죽 쑤어 개 준다 — The credit for your hard work ends up going to someone else entirely.
• 콩으로 메주를 쑨대도 곧이 안 듣는다 — Once you lose someone's trust, they won't believe you even about the most obvious facts.
• 여름비는 잠비 가을비는 떡비 — Summer rain is for napping, autumn rain is for making rice cakes — what you do changes with the season.
• 개 팔자가 상팔자 — Worn down by work, even a carefree life looks enviable.
• 지척이 천리 — Even something right nearby feels impossibly far if you never actually go there.
• 짚신도 제짝이 있다 — No matter how unremarkable you seem, there's a match out there made for you.
• 하늘 보고 주먹질한다 — Venting your anger, uselessly, at an opponent you could never actually beat.
• 닭 쫓던 개 지붕 쳐다보듯 — After all that effort comes to nothing, you're left staring blankly, empty inside.
• 남의 다리 긁는다 — Effort you put in ends up benefiting someone else entirely.
• 눈에 콩깍지가 씌었다 — You're so smitten that you can't see the other person's flaws.
• 이 없으면 잇몸으로 산다 — Even without something you thought you absolutely needed, you manage to get by.
• 서 발 장대 거칠 것 없다 — There's so little in the house that nothing's even there to get in the way.
• 목구멍이 포도청 — When it comes to putting food on the table, there's nothing you won't do.
• 배부른 흥정 — Negotiating without a trace of urgency, because you have nothing to lose.
• 앞길이 구만리 — Still young, with countless days and chances still ahead.
• 급히 더운 방이 쉬 식는다 — What comes together fast disappears just as fast.
• 도끼가 제 자루 못 찍는다 — It's hard to fix your own faults by yourself.
• 방귀가 잦으면 똥 싸기 쉽다 — Enough warning signs, and the real trouble eventually follows.
• 재수 없는 포수는 곰을 잡아도 웅담이 없다 — When your luck is bad, even something you've already won turns up empty.