Korean Proverbs & Idioms Dictionary

38 common Korean proverbs and idioms, explained for learners with romanization, literal meaning, and figurative meaning — searchable below.

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Proverbs (속담)

📜

가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다

ganeun mari gowaya oneun mari gopda

Meaning

Literally, "the words that go must be nice for the words that come to be nice." Meaning: if you treat others well, they'll treat you well in return.

📜

백지장도 맞들면 낫다

baekjijangdo matdeulmyeon natda

Meaning

Literally, "even a sheet of paper is better lifted together." Meaning: even the easiest task is easier with help — cooperation makes things simpler.

📜

티끌 모아 태산

tikkeul moa taesan

Meaning

Literally, "dust gathered becomes a great mountain." Meaning: even the smallest amounts add up to something big over time.

📜

우물 안 개구리

umul an gaeguri

Meaning

Literally, "a frog in a well." Meaning: someone with a narrow perspective who doesn't know the wider world.

📜

갈수록 태산

galsurok taesan

Meaning

Literally, "the further you go, [it's like] Mount Tae [looming ahead]." Meaning: a difficult situation that keeps getting worse the further it goes.

📜

낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다

natmareun saega deutgo bammareun jwiga deunneunda

Meaning

Literally, "birds hear daytime words, and mice hear nighttime words." Meaning: no matter how carefully you speak, word gets around eventually — watch what you say.

📜

하늘의 별 따기

haneurui byeol ttagi

Meaning

Literally, "plucking a star from the sky." Meaning: an expression for something extremely difficult to achieve.

📜

등잔 밑이 어둡다

deungjan michi eodupda

Meaning

Literally, "it's dark under the lamp stand." Meaning: you often overlook or fail to notice what's closest to you.

📜

원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다

wonsungido namueseo tteoreojinda

Meaning

Literally, "even monkeys fall from trees." Meaning: even an expert can make a mistake sometimes.

📜

소 잃고 외양간 고친다

so ilko oeyanggan gochinda

Meaning

Literally, "fix the barn after losing the cow." Meaning: taking action only after it's too late — closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.

📜

서당개 삼 년이면 풍월을 읊는다

seodang-gae sam nyeonimyeon pungworeul eupneunda

Meaning

Literally, "even a village-school dog, after three years, recites poetry." Meaning: if you're around a field long enough, you naturally pick up its knowledge or skills.

📜

콩 심은 데 콩 나고 팥 심은 데 팥 난다

kong simeun de kong nago pat simeun de pat nanda

Meaning

Literally, "where beans are planted, beans grow; where red beans are planted, red beans grow." Meaning: every cause produces a matching result — you reap what you sow.

📜

발 없는 말이 천 리 간다

bal eomneun mari cheolli ganda

Meaning

Literally, "a word with no feet travels a thousand ri." Meaning: words spread far and fast, so be careful what you say.

📜

열 손가락 깨물어 안 아픈 손가락 없다

yeol songarak kkaemureo an apeun songarak eopda

Meaning

Literally, "bite all ten fingers, and none of them doesn't hurt." Meaning: to a parent, every one of their children is equally precious.

📜

미운 아이 떡 하나 더 준다

miun ai tteok hana deo junda

Meaning

Literally, "give the child you dislike one more rice cake." Meaning: treat someone you dislike even better, to smooth things over between you.

📜

벼는 익을수록 고개를 숙인다

byeoneun igeulsurok gogaereul sukinda

Meaning

Literally, "the more rice ripens, the lower it bows its head." Meaning: the more accomplished and capable a person is, the more humble they tend to be.

📜

목마른 사람이 우물 판다

mongmareun saramyi umul panda

Meaning

Literally, "the thirsty person digs the well." Meaning: whoever needs something most urgently is the one who takes action first.

📜

빈 수레가 요란하다

bin sureoga yorananda

Meaning

Literally, "an empty cart makes the most noise." Meaning: people with little substance tend to talk the loudest or make the biggest fuss.

📜

고생 끝에 낙이 온다

gosaeng kkeute nagi onda

Meaning

Literally, "after hardship ends, joy comes." Meaning: good results eventually come after enduring hard times.

📜

될성부른 나무는 떡잎부터 알아본다

doelseongbureun namuneun tteogipbuteo arabonda

Meaning

Literally, "a tree bound to succeed shows it from its first sprout leaves." Meaning: someone destined for greatness shows exceptional signs from an early age.

📜

산 넘어 산

san neomeo san

Meaning

Literally, "a mountain, then beyond it another mountain." Meaning: one difficulty is overcome only for another to appear right after.

📜

누워서 떡 먹기

nuwoseo tteok meokgi

Meaning

Literally, "eating rice cake while lying down." Meaning: an expression for something extremely easy to do.

📜

걱정도 팔자다

geokjeongdo paljada

Meaning

Literally, "even worrying is [a matter of] fate." Meaning: said of someone who creates worries for themselves that they don't even need to have.

📜

개천에서 용 난다

gaecheoneseo yong nanda

Meaning

Literally, "a dragon rises from a small stream." Meaning: someone remarkable can emerge even from humble or difficult circumstances.

📜

꿩 먹고 알 먹기

kkwong meokgo al meokgi

Meaning

Literally, "eating the pheasant and eating its eggs too." Meaning: getting two benefits from a single action — killing two birds with one stone.

📜

도토리 키 재기

dotori ki jaegi

Meaning

Literally, "measuring the height of acorns against each other." Meaning: people of similar (and unremarkable) ability competing over who is better.

📜

배보다 배꼽이 더 크다

baeboda baekkobi deo keuda

Meaning

Literally, "the belly button is bigger than the belly." Meaning: a minor, secondary part of something ends up bigger or more significant than the main part.

📜

사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다

sagongi manheumyeon baega saneuro ganda

Meaning

Literally, "with too many boatmen, the boat goes up the mountain." Meaning: when too many people try to take charge, the outcome goes in a strange, unintended direction.

📜

열 길 물속은 알아도 한 길 사람 속은 모른다

yeolgil mulsogeun arado hangil saram sogeun moreunda

Meaning

Literally, "you may know ten fathoms deep into water, but not one fathom into a person's heart." Meaning: no matter how close you are to someone, it's hard to truly know what's in their heart.

📜

호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다

horangido je mal hamyeon onda

Meaning

Literally, "even a tiger comes if you speak of it." Meaning: speak of someone and, as if on cue, they show up — "speak of the devil."

Idioms (관용구)

🗣️

발이 넓다

bari neopda

Meaning

Literally, "to have wide feet." Meaning: to know a lot of people and have a wide social network.

🗣️

손이 크다

soni keuda

Meaning

Literally, "to have a big hand." Meaning: to be generous with spending, or to prepare food and portions abundantly.

🗣️

입이 무겁다

ibi mugeopda

Meaning

Literally, "to have a heavy mouth." Meaning: to not speak carelessly and to keep secrets well.

🗣️

눈이 높다

nuni nopda

Meaning

Literally, "to have high eyes." Meaning: to have high, discerning standards and not be satisfied easily.

🗣️

코가 납작해지다

koga napjakhaejida

Meaning

Literally, "one's nose becomes flat." Meaning: to have one's pride crushed and be humbled or embarrassed.

🗣️

귀가 얇다

gwiga yalda

Meaning

Literally, "to have thin ears." Meaning: to be easily persuaded by others and swayed by what they say.

🗣️

간이 크다

gani keuda

Meaning

Literally, "to have a big liver." Meaning: to be fearless and bold.

🗣️

발이 묶이다

bari mukkida

Meaning

Literally, "to have one's feet tied." Meaning: to be unable to move or leave due to some circumstance.

What does this dictionary cover?

Korean has many proverbs (가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다, 티끌 모아 태산, and more) andidioms (발이 넓다, 입이 무겁다, and more) that come up often in everyday speech and writing but are easy to misread if you take them literally. A proverb is a complete, self-contained sentence carrying a lesson or piece of life wisdom, while an idiom is a fixed phrase made of two or more words that has taken on a meaning different from its literal one — that's the key difference between the two.

Why does the distinction matter?

Proverbs and idioms often don't make sense if you translate them word for word, so not knowing them can cause you to miss the point of a conversation or a piece of writing. They also show up frequently as figurative language in essays, interviews, and workplace communication, so knowing their exact meaning and usage helps both your comprehension and your own expression.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Korean proverbs the same as Korean four-character idioms (사자성어)?

No, they're different. Proverbs are expressions made mostly of native Korean words, while four-character idioms (사자성어) are made of four Chinese characters (hanja). This page covers only proverbs and idioms — see the Korean Four-Character Idioms Dictionary for the hanja-based expressions.

Can I find newer Korean internet slang here too?

Newer coinages, abbreviations, and online/social media terms are covered separately in the Korean Slang Dictionary.