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How to Say “There’s no smoke without fire” in Korean

아니 땐 굴뚝에 연기 날까

ani ttaen gulttuge yeongi nalkka

Situation: Proverbs & idiomsLevel: Intermediate (TOPIK 3–4)

Meaning

There’s no smoke without fire.

Literally “would smoke rise from a chimney where no fire was lit?” Used when a rumor or suspicion probably has some real cause behind it.

Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.

Syllables: 10 · Words: 5

In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
아니
아	ㅇ+ㅏ	a
니	ㄴ+ㅣ	ni
땐	ㄸ+ㅐ+ㄴ	ttaen
굴뚝에
굴	ㄱ+ㅜ+ㄹ	gul
뚝	ㄸ+ㅜ+ㄱ	[뚜] ttu
에	ㅇ+ㅔ	[게] ge
연기
연	ㅇ+ㅕ+ㄴ	yeon
기	ㄱ+ㅣ	gi
날까
날	ㄴ+ㅏ+ㄹ	nal
까	ㄲ+ㅏ	kka

A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.

Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 뚝에 → [뚜게]

Style: Casual (반말)Sentence type: Statement or set phrase

No -요 at the end. Used with close friends, younger people and family; avoid it with strangers and elders.

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “아니 땐 굴뚝에 연기 날까” mean?

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Answer: There’s no smoke without fire

Question 2 How do you say “There’s no smoke without fire” in Korean?

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Answer: 아니 땐 굴뚝에 연기 날까 ani ttaen gulttuge yeongi nalkka

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소 잃고 외양간 고친다Closing the barn door after the horse is gone
낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다Walls have ears. (Birds hear what you say by day, and mice by night.)
입이 무겁다To be good at keeping secrets
호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다Speak of the devil
귀가 얇다To be easily swayed by others
세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다Habits formed young last a lifetime