“Crayfish take the crab’s side” in Korean: 가재는 게 편이다

가재는 게 편이다

gajaeneun ge pyeonida

Situation: Proverbs & idiomsLevel: Advanced (TOPIK 5–6)

Meaning

Crayfish take the crab’s side.

Literally “the crayfish is on the crab’s side.” Those alike in appearance or situation naturally stand up for one another.

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

Syllables: 7 · Words: 3

Said aloud, it sounds like [가재는 게 펴니다].

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
가재는
가	ㄱ+ㅏ	ga
재	ㅈ+ㅐ	jae
는	ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ	neun
게	ㄱ+ㅔ	ge
편이다
편	ㅍ+ㅕ+ㄴ	[펴] pyeo
이	ㅇ+ㅣ	[니] ni
다	ㄷ+ㅏ	da

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. 편이 → [펴니]

Style: Plain form (-다)Sentence type: Statement or set phrase

Ends in -다. Common in proverbs, writing and the news, but not how you normally speak to the person in front of you.

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “가재는 게 편이다” mean?

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Answer: Crayfish take the crab’s side

Question 2 How do you say “Crayfish take the crab’s side” in Korean?

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Answer: 가재는 게 편이다 gajaeneun ge pyeonida

Question 3 How is “가재는 게 편이다” pronounced?

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Answer: [가재는 게 펴니다]

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