KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Proverbs & idioms › 금강산도 식후경
“Food first, sightseeing later” in Korean: 금강산도 식후경
금강산도 식후경
geumgangsando sikugyeong
Meaning
Food first, sightseeing later.
Usage note
Literally “even Mount Kumgang is better seen after a meal.” Even a famous sight should wait until you have eaten, so people say it when inviting others to lunch while traveling.
Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.
How to pronounce it
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 금강산도 | ||
| 금 | ㄱ+ㅡ+ㅁ | geum |
| 강 | ㄱ+ㅏ+ㅇ | gang |
| 산 | ㅅ+ㅏ+ㄴ | san |
| 도 | ㄷ+ㅗ | do |
| 식후경 | ||
| 식 | ㅅ+ㅣ+ㄱ | [시] si |
| 후 | ㅎ+ㅜ | [쿠] ku |
| 경 | ㄱ+ㅕ+ㅇ | gyeong |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Aspiration: ㅎ next to ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ or ㅈ blends with it into ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ or ㅊ. 식후 → [시쿠]
Speech style
There is no verb ending, so the phrase has no politeness level of its own: it is a short fixed expression or a noun phrase.
Quick self-check
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 What does “금강산도 식후경” mean?
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Answer: Food first, sightseeing later
Question 2 How do you say “Food first, sightseeing later” in Korean?
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Answer: 금강산도 식후경 geumgangsando sikugyeong
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