KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Proverbs & idioms › 세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다
How to Say “Habits formed young last a lifetime” in Korean
세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다
se sal beoreut yeodeunkkaji ganda
Meaning
Habits formed young last a lifetime.
Usage note
Literally “a habit from age three lasts until eighty.” Habits formed in childhood are hard to change. It is often used when talking about raising children.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 세 | ㅅ+ㅔ | se |
| 살 | ㅅ+ㅏ+ㄹ | sal |
| 버릇 | ||
| 버 | ㅂ+ㅓ | beo |
| 릇 | ㄹ+ㅡ+ㅅ | [륻] reut |
| 여든까지 | ||
| 여 | ㅇ+ㅕ | yeo |
| 든 | ㄷ+ㅡ+ㄴ | deun |
| 까 | ㄲ+ㅏ | kka |
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | ji |
| 간다 | ||
| 간 | ㄱ+ㅏ+ㄴ | gan |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | da |
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
- Final-sound reduction: every final consonant is pronounced as one of seven sounds — ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ or ㅇ. 릇 → [륻]
Speech style
Ends in -다. Common in proverbs, writing and the news, but not how you normally speak to the person in front of you.
Phrases that use the same word
Phrases with “간다”
- 발 없는 말이 천 리 간다Words travel fast, even without feet
- 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다Too many cooks spoil the broth
Quick self-check
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 What does “세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다” mean?
Show the answer
Answer: Habits formed young last a lifetime
Question 2 How do you say “Habits formed young last a lifetime” in Korean?
Show the answer
Answer: 세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다 se sal beoreut yeodeunkkaji ganda
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameMore phrases for this situation
- 호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다Speak of the devil
- 아는 길도 물어 가라Even if you know the way, ask
- 낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다Walls have ears. (Birds hear what you say by day, and mice by night.)
- 원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다Even a monkey falls from a tree. (Even experts make mistakes.)
- 아니 땐 굴뚝에 연기 날까There’s no smoke without fire
- 우물 안 개구리Like a frog in a well, unaware of the wider world
Read this page in: 日本語 简体中文 繁體中文 Tiếng Việt Bahasa Indonesia Oʻzbekcha Монгол Français Español (México) ไทย