“Laughter brings good fortune” in Korean: 웃으면 복이 온다

웃으면 복이 온다

useumyeon bogi onda

Situation: Proverbs & idiomsLevel: Beginner (TOPIK 1–2)

Meaning

Laughter brings good fortune.

Literally “if you laugh, fortune comes.” A cheerful proverb that says a smile invites good luck, and it urges an upbeat outlook.

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

Syllables: 7 · Words: 3

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
웃으면
웃	ㅇ+ㅜ+ㅅ	[우] u
으	ㅇ+ㅡ	[스] seu
면	ㅁ+ㅕ+ㄴ	myeon
복이
복	ㅂ+ㅗ+ㄱ	[보] bo
이	ㅇ+ㅣ	[기] gi
온다
온	ㅇ+ㅗ+ㄴ	on
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. 웃으 → [우스]

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.

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Question 1 What does “웃으면 복이 온다” mean?

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Answer: Laughter brings good fortune

Question 2 How do you say “Laughter brings good fortune” in Korean?

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Answer: 웃으면 복이 온다 useumyeon bogi onda

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