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49 Korean Phrases for Proverbs & idioms

49 phrases — Proverbs & idioms

Beginner (TOPIK 1–2)

• 시작이 반이다sijagi banida · Well begun is half done
• 웃으면 복이 온다useumyeon bogi onda · Laughter brings good fortune
• 가는 말이 고우면 오는 말이 곱다ganeun mari goumyeon oneun mari gopda · Speak kindly, and you’ll be answered kindly
• 백지장도 맞들면 낫다baekjijangdo matdeulmyeon natda · Many hands make light work
• 고생 끝에 낙이 온다gosaeng kkeute nagi onda · After hardship comes happiness
• 금강산도 식후경geumgangsando sikugyeong · Food first, sightseeing later
• 꿩 먹고 알 먹기kkwong meokgo al meokgi · Killing two birds with one stone
• 돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라doldarido dudeulgyeo bogo geonneora · Look before you leap

Intermediate (TOPIK 3–4)

• 티끌 모아 태산tikkeul moa taesan · Every little bit adds up
• 식은 죽 먹기sigeun juk meokgi · A piece of cake
• 누워서 떡 먹기nuwoseo tteok meokgi · Easy as pie
• 하늘의 별 따기haneurui byeol ttagi · As hard as picking a star from the sky
• 발이 넓다bari neolda · To have a wide circle of acquaintances
• 손이 크다soni keuda · To be generous
• 눈이 높다nuni nopda · To have high standards
• 귀가 얇다gwiga yalda · To be easily swayed by others
• 입이 무겁다ibi mugeopda · To be good at keeping secrets
• 소 잃고 외양간 고친다so ilko oeyanggan gochinda · Closing the barn door after the horse is gone
• 아니 땐 굴뚝에 연기 날까ani ttaen gulttuge yeongi nalkka · There’s no smoke without fire
• 낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다nanmareun saega deutgo bammareun jwiga deunneunda · Walls have ears. (Birds hear what you say by day, and mice by night.)
• 호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다horangido je mal hamyeon onda · Speak of the devil
• 세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다se sal beoreut yeodeunkkaji ganda · Habits formed young last a lifetime
• 아는 길도 물어 가라aneun gildo mureo gara · Even if you know the way, ask
• 원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다wonsungido namueseo tteoreojinda · Even a monkey falls from a tree. (Even experts make mistakes.)
• 우물 안 개구리umul an gaeguri · Like a frog in a well, unaware of the wider world
• 발 없는 말이 천 리 간다bal eomneun mari cheon ri ganda · Words travel fast, even without feet
• 등잔 밑이 어둡다deungjan michi eodupda · It’s darkest under the lamp

Advanced (TOPIK 5–6)

• 고래 싸움에 새우 등 터진다gorae ssaume saeu deung teojinda · When whales fight, the shrimp suffer
• 말 한마디로 천 냥 빚을 갚는다mal hanmadiro cheon nyang bijeul gamneunda · A single word can repay a huge debt
• 하룻강아지 범 무서운 줄 모른다harutgangaji beom museoun jul moreunda · A young pup doesn’t know enough to fear the tiger
• 열 길 물속은 알아도 한 길 사람 속은 모른다yeol gil mulsogeun arado han gil saram sogeun moreunda · You can fathom deep water, but not a person’s heart
• 가재는 게 편이다gajaeneun ge pyeonida · Crayfish take the crab’s side
• 뛰는 놈 위에 나는 놈 있다ttwineun nom wie naneun nom itda · There’s always someone better
• 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다sagongi maneumyeon baega saneuro ganda · Too many cooks spoil the broth
• 백문이 불여일견baengmuni buryeoilgyeon · Seeing is believing
• 윗물이 맑아야 아랫물이 맑다winmuri malgaya araenmuri makda · Clear water upstream makes clear water downstream
• 낫 놓고 기역 자도 모른다nat noko giyeok jado moreunda · Can’t even recognize the letter ㄱ with a sickle in hand. (Totally illiterate.)
• 믿는 도끼에 발등 찍힌다minneun dokkie baldeung jjikinda · Betrayed by the very person you trusted
• 바늘 도둑이 소 도둑 된다baneul dodugi so doduk doenda · Small wrongs, left alone, grow into big ones
• 개구리 올챙이 적 생각 못 한다gaeguri olchaengi jeok saenggak mot handa · Once people succeed, they forget their humble beginnings
• 공든 탑이 무너지랴gongdeun tabi muneojirya · A tower built with devotion won’t crumble
• 발등에 불이 떨어졌다baldeunge buri tteoreojyeotda · Things have gotten urgent. The heat is on
• 어깨가 무겁다eokkaega mugeopda · I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders
• 까마귀 날자 배 떨어진다kkamagwi nalja bae tteoreojinda · A coincidence that makes you look guilty
• 눈코 뜰 새 없이 바쁘다nunko tteul sae eopsi bappeuda · Too busy to even catch a breath
• 우이독경uidokgyeong · Preaching to deaf ears
• 동병상련dongbyeongsangnyeon · People in the same plight sympathize with each other
• 설상가상seolsanggasang · To make matters worse, one misfortune follows another
• 대기만성daegimanseong · Great talents bloom late

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