Proverbs and Idioms

No one knows for certain who first uttered the words that would become proverbs and idioms. However, these words reflect
experiences and emotions that everyone, at one point or another, has experienced in their lives. As time passed, these proverbs
became a thread that, within a culture, conveys these lifes common experiences emotions.

There are over 25000 proverbs in the Korean Culture. Full of wit and wisdom, with perhaps a side of sarcasm or biting humor, these
proverbs and idioms are a lively way of conveying a situation or passing down a pearl of wisdom without the need for additional
explanation. These proverbs are, effectively, a picture drawn with words (after all, a picture is worth a thousand words). And,
within these proverbs lie the life lessons and experiences that help us realize what the human experience is.

Practice makes perfect, and like all things worth achieving, using these proverbs does take practice.

In our modern era, the use of these proverbs and idioms has been on the decline. For one, many of these proverbs or idioms reflect
situations from a bygone era (is there a time where you truly had a bird in hand?). The lack of value placed in a well rounded
vocabulary is, perhaps, also to blame. Whatever the reasons are the decline, it is still worth taking the time and effort. But, as iron
sharpens iron, with continued usage of these proverbs, one can sharpen his writing, reading, and speaking skills.

, ,
.
, , , , .

, .

25,000
. . .
, . ,
 , , ,
.

,
.

.
.
. .

.
.
. .
. .
.
.

.
.
How to use these proverbs correctly and effectively
When using proverbs in writing, one must keep in mind the context and the situation where it will be used. With that in mind, these
four tips will help you in picking the right proverb for your prose.

1. Think about the situation that you are writing about.

2. Once you have thought about that situation, think about the proverb you are going to use.

3. Pick the correct voice that fits the situation. For example, if youre writing a factual based prose, you may want to consider a
more professional voice in your writing. However, it is up to you to pick the tone that will convey your voice properly.

4. With those three things in mind, complete the prose and see how it fits.

, .

2. .

3. .

4. . , , ,
, , .
,
.

5. .
No. Korean Proverb Literal Translation English Equivalent Note
and similar proverbs
and sayings
1 A close friend is better than a Joy and sorrow are next door
distant relative. Near neighbor neighbors. Water afar off ,
is better than a distant cousin. does not quench fire. (Does .
A good neighbor is better than not put out a fire.)
a brother far off.
2 ( Todays my lucky day! That is It never rains but pours.
) purely coincidental. As luck When it rains, it pours. ,
would have it. .
3 What goes around, comes Do as you would be done by.
around. Scratch my back, and If I help you, you should help
I'll scratch yours. You get me.
what you deserve.

4 A bird in the hand is worth What you already have is

two in the bush. more valuable than what you .
dont possess.

.
5 Departure day happened to be
market day. (coincidence)
6 To scratch where it itches- to
take great care to make a .
person/ situation comfortable.
7 Scattered beans grow in the
midst of a drought.
8 The tree with many branches
doesnt sleep. The worries of
the parents with many .
children never leave them. A
mother with a large brood has
not even one day of peace.
There is no rest for a family
(mother) with many children.
9 Possession is nine tenths .
[points] of the law.
10 Siblings mean theyre on
your side. There is no friend .
like a brother (sibling).
11 To stick to both liver and gall To stick your nose in where
bladder. it doesnt belong; that is none
of your business.
12 To be so far from the results .
that you desire; havent even
sent notice to your liver that
there is no food in sight.
13 Your liver is as small as .
beans, youre so fearful!
14 The more we forge ahead, the To take on more than you .
bigger the mountain looms. can handle.
Jump/Leap out of the frying
pan into the fire.
15 He will shave a whetstone.
.
.
16 Like pouring new wine into .
old wineskins.
17 Use sparingly, even when Be careful with your
things seem as abundant as a resources, to be frugal.
river. .

18 If the price is the same, It is quality that counts, not

choose the one with better quantity (amount). .
quality, not more quantity.

19 Narrowly gathered, widely , ,

spent.
20 Thinks only of his being a
frog and forgets his once
having been a tadpole.
.
It is old cow's notion that
she never was a calf. .
The mother-in-law doesn not
remember that she was once
a daughter-in-law.
21 Its the things we are
interested in that jump out at .
us and catch our attention.
22 Do not back him into a .
corner.

23 The early bird gets the worm .

24 Even a dog recognizes its Dont bite the hand that

owner. feeds you.
25 (: Horse shoe for a dogs feet.
)

26 Like a dragon from the gutter, A diamond in the rough. .

a great person who comes
from a poor background.
27
28 As dirty as a beggars shoes.
From rags to riches.
Lets sell even our worries -
an expression to mock
busybodies.

29 A sound mind in a sound .

. body.

30 Until you are old and gray.

When your black hair turns
white like the top of a green
onion.
31 Never judge by appearances. Don`t judge a book by its
cover. .
Appearances are deceptive.
Beauty is skin deep. All is
not gold that glitters.
32 To eat in the blink of an eye.

33 The little guy suffers Like throwing a stone into a

consequences from the pond, the ripples spread out .
conflict of stronger forces, as to a larger area.
the back of a shrimp explodes
during a whale fight.
34 There is hope and happiness at The light at the end of the
the end of suffering. tunnel. Every cloud has a .
silver lining.
April Showers bring May
flowers. No cross, no crown.
No sweat, no sweet. No
reward without toil. No pain,
no gain.
Nothing ventured, nothing
gained.
35 Even a hedgehog thinks her The crow thinks her own
babies are soft and sleek. baby bird the fairest. ,
.
36 To reject what you are .
naturally drawn to, as a cat
staying away from a mouse.
37
.
38 A trouble shared is a trouble To share a burden makes the
split in half. burden lighter. .

39 It takes one to know one. You understand in others ,

what you have experienced .
yourself.
40 As grains ripen, they bow .
their headsthe greater a
person you become, the more
humble you become.
41 Pockmarks look like dimples.
.
42 Hard work always produces To have two strings to ones
( good results. bow. .
)

43 . To teach a fish how to

swim.
To teach a dog how to bark. .
44 You dont know what youve You dont appreciate how
got until youve lost it. good you had it until the .
situation changes and gets
harder.

.

45 You must forge ahead with a Look at the big picture - the
project without fearing the end result is worth the .
small bothersome things that smaller details that are
irritating.
may result from trying to
achieve your goal.
46 A rolling stone gathers no
moss. .

47 Pearls are not valuable until

they are strung together. .
There's many things fall
`twixt/between the cup and the
lip.
48 Nothing to give a relation but
sufficient for a thief to take. .

49 Spare the rod and spoil the

child. , .

.
50 Sit back and enjoy the ride. .

.
51 Necessity is the mother of
invention.
52 A pie in the sky.
Later on, you will get your .
reward.
53 (Dont upset the current Let sleeping dogs lie.
situation or it may get worse.) .

54 Even the most beautiful A loaf of bread is better than

landscape is not enjoyed by the song of many birds. .
the hungry.
55 Haste makes waste. Look
before you leap.
.
56 More haste less speed. Haste makes waste.

. ,
.
57 Let sleeping dogs lie.
.
58 Dont count your chickens
before they hatch. To sell the
bear's skin before it has been
caught.
59 Judge right or wrong with .
objective standards; you cant
compare lengths without
putting them next to each
other.
60 How could you be so
forgetful?
Have you been eating black
crows to be blacking out so
much?
61 An evil deed repeated over The pitcher goes so often to
time is bound to be the well that it is broken at .
discovered; a long tail is last.
bound to be stepped on.
62 Use a chicken instead of a If you can't get a horse, ride a ,
pheasant. cow. .

63 ( Kill two birds with one .

) stone. ,

64 , I dislike to eat it and yet am

stingy about giving it to the .
dog.
65 Those whom the gods love,
die young. .

66 Time flees away without

( ) delay.

67 A falling drop at last will Drop by drop fills the tub.

cave a stone. Many drops make a shower. , .

68 To be jealous about what The grass is greener on the

someone else has and to want other side of the fence. .
it. Our neighbor's cow yields
more milk than ours.
69 Dont get involved in other Mind your own business.
peoples affairs.

70 To be illiterate and ignorant; He cannot say B to a

to see a sickle and not battledore.
recognize the letter .
71 Birds overhear your daytime Walls have ears.
conversations, mice overhear Pitchers have ears. .
what you say at night.

72 A bird in the hand is worth

two in the bush. ,

73 My cousin sings my song.
.

74 One father can support the

children, but children can not .
support one father.
.
75 Nothing could be simpler- its Childrens play. As easy as
as easy as pie (or as easy as rolling off a log. Its like .
eating lying down). falling off a log.
76 Cut off your nose to spite your Chickens come home to ,
face. He that blows in the dust roost. Spit in the wind. What .
fills his own eyes. goes around, comes around.
You reap what you sow.
The bigger they are, the
harder they fall.
77 The cat that ate the canary.
.
78 The world is a dangerous
place; close your eyes and
your nose could get cut off!
79 Thorn in the side. .
Thorn in one's side/flesh.
80 Frost on the top of snow. ,
.
81 One is apt to become overly
engrossed in work. A hobby .
begun late in life.
.
82 Every tide must have its ebb. .

83 Sweet gets swallowed, but

bitter gets spat out. .
Utilize a person when their
service is needed, but keep
him at a distance when it is
not.
84 To cover your tracks, e.g. to
catch and eat a chicken, only .
to deny it by producing a
ducks foot as your alibi.
85 To be up a blind alley, or at a
dead end. To be on the wrong
track. .
The dog that chased the
chicken can only look up at
the roof the house.
86 Who is worse shod than the The shoemakers children go
shoemaker's wife? barefoot. .
87 When you owe a lot of debt,
youre stuck like a kite caught
in a tree.

88
()
.
.
89 Even burglary requires good Many hands make light
teamwork for success. work. (Many people working
Harmonious cooperation is together make the work
everything in accomplishing easier to accomplish!)
.
something.
90 A thief has a bad conscience A guilty conscience needs
and is apt to give himself no accuser.
away. .
.
91 , Discipline and sense of honor
are important in any .
teamwork.

92 When youre unlucky,

everything goes wrong for .
you.
93 , Virtue is more important than There is nothing like a ,
anything else for a woman. virtuous woman.
.
94 A mouse in a mousetrap, there A rat in a trap.
is no way out. Caught like a deer in .
headlights. Caught with your
hand in the cookie jar.

95 Money begets money.

96 Money makes the mare to go. A golden key opens every

door. .

97 Dont even cross a stone Look before you leap.

bridge without first checking Better safe than sorry. .
its sturdiness by hitting it. .
Proceed cautiously, even
when things look safe.
98 An early prick means it will
be a strong thorn. .

99 To be so busy you are here, .

there and everywhere, like
flashes of lightning moving
from east to west.
100 Giving a peck and getting a To sow the wind and reap the
bushel. whirlwind. .
101 Cast/Throw pearls before Cast not your pearls before ,
swine. swine. Don't cast pearls .
Dont waste your efforts on before swine.
people who do not appreciate
it.
102 Vegetables fit for use are As the twig is bent, so
recognized by the small grows the tree. You will .
sprout. know a good tree by the fruit
it bares.

103 Absence makes the heart grow .

fonder.

104 Even a sweet song sung too

much, becomes disagreeable. .

105 Ignorance is bliss.

.

106 Swimming while touching the Its a piece of cake!

ground. ?
.
107 To make the most of a
situation. .

108 The pot calls the kettle black.

.
109 Dont count your chickens ,
, before they are hatched.
.

110 Dont judge a book by its

cover. .

111 Theres always someone Diamonds cut diamonds.

better than you, so dont brag. There may be blue and better .
blue.
The fox knows much, but
more he that catches him.
112 ( () He cleaves the clouds. Building a castle in the air. . .
)

113 A farewell that comes very

soon after meeting.
114 Greed has no limits. The .
appetite grows with what it
feeds on.
115 A soft answer turns away .
. wrath. Good words cost , ,
nothing. , ,
.
116 Pay now, play later.
The devil take the hindmost. .

117 If you boil the head, the ears

will be cooked. .

118 Every flow has its ebb. .

( ) ,

.
119 , Daughters in law love fathers
in law; sons in law love .
mothers in law.
120 A cornered stone meets the
masons chisel. .
121 All is well that ends well. .
. .

122 , Ignorance is bliss. ,

.
123 I must work to keep my head .
above water.
124 Good medicine tastes bitter. .

125 No news is good news.

.
126 To bite the hand that feeds
you. Dont look a gift horse .
in the mouth.
Give someone an inch and
theyll take a mile.
127 A drowning man will catch at
a straw. A drowning man .
plucks at a straw.

128 , Appearances are deceptive. .

.

129 One rotten apple spoils the

barrel. .

130 Love your enemies. Do good Kill your enemy with

to those who hate you. kindness. Spare the rod and .
spoil the child.
131 Stabbed in the back. Bite the
hand that feeds you. . (
)
132 To go together like needle and
thread. .
133 He that will steal a pin will Once a use, forever a habit.
steal an ox. One lie makes .
many.
134 News travels fast. Rumors Words and feathers the wind .
spread like wildfire. carries away.
135 Repeated small irregularities .
lead to serious consequences
[trouble].
136 To blame others for ones own Get angry at others for ones .
shortcomings or mistakes. own mistakes..
137 , Beggars must not be choosers.
?
.

138 To see is to believe. A

picture is worth a thousand .
words.

139 To take more than you can use My mouth is bigger than my
or can eat. stomach. His eyes are bigger .
than his stomach.
140 Two heads are better than one. ,
Many hands make light work.
.

141 To act quickly/ promptly, as in Quick at meat, quick at

eating beans fried from work. .
lightning.

142 The boughs that bear most Smooth waters run deep.
hang lowest. .

143 He that has no shame has no No shame, no honor. .

conscience.

144 Cant squeeze blood from a

turnip.
145 Names and natures often .
agree.

146 Salt even on the kitchen shelf No mill, no meal. If you

( has to be added to give the dont work, you dont eat. ,
flavor.
/
)

147 Come empty, return empty.

.
. .
148 Empty wagons make most A barking dog never bites.
noise. Empty vessels make the Big talk means little
most sound. knowledge.
The greatest talkers are the
least doers.
149 A tree with beautiful blossoms Appearances can be .
does not always yield the best deceiving.
fruit.
150 , One beats the bush, and
another catches the birds. .
( One sows the seed, another
) waters, another harvest.

151 As a man sows and another Garbage in, garbage out. .

( reaps.
)
152 Too many cooks spoil the ,
broth. .
.

153 A fierce dogs nose has no

time to heal. , .
154 Seek to live in such a way that
after you die, you leave a .
great reputation/ legacy for the
next generations.

155 ,

,

.
156 Turning green with envy.
.
157 Necessity known no law.
,

158 Can spider web grow in a Every day brings its bread
living mans throat. with it. ,

159 It is just a drop in the bucket. .
.
160 Seldom comes a better
opportunity.
.
161 The sparrow near a school
sings the primer. A saint's .
maid quotes Latin. As the
old cock crows, the young
cock learns.
162 A bad workman always
blames his tools.
.
163 A little knowledge (learning)
is a dangerous thing.
164 Habits formed at 3 will go on Whats learned in the cradle .
till youre 80. is carried to the grave.
( ) Habit is second nature. A
leopard cannot change his
spots.
165 Time flies (like an
( arrow).Time passes like the .
/ ): wind. Time and tide wait for
no man.
166 Time is the great healer. Time Time tames the greatest grief.
cures everything. Time heals Years bring wisdom.
all sorrows.
Time heals all wounds.
167 () Wasting your breath talking Talking to the wall.
because nobody is listening. .
168 He who has eaten salt drinks
water. Salt makes a person ,
thirsty.

169 The fool will catch his own

chicken, causing only himself
loss.
170 Too little, too late, like fixing Behind the fair.
( ) the barn after your cow runs After death, to call the .
away. doctor.
It is too late to lock the stable
when the horse has been
stolen.
171 Its best to finish what you Strike while the iron is hot. ,
start right away. He who hesitates is .
lost. Opportunity seldom .
knocks twice.
A fox is not taken twice in
the same snare. Good luck
does not always repeat itself.
172 One hand finds it hard to It takes two to tango.
applaud. It takes two people .
to do certain activities. .
173 [The lazy person] tries to blow
his nose without touching . .
( it. [The lazy person] waits for .
) a ripe persimmon to fall by
lying under the tree. These
sayings refer to the
expectation of great results
while putting in no effort. No
work happens on its own
while you do nothing. If you
want good results, you need to
put in as much effort as the
greatness of the results you
wish to see.
174 He bit off more than he can He bit off more than he can .
chew. chew. . .

175 You cant work on an empty Without bread and wine, .

stomach. even love will pine.
176 Easily gotten goods are soon Ill-gotten gains are soon
spent. spent.

177 Time is money. .

178 Getting started is half the Well begun is half done.
work. The beginning is half of
the whole. .
179 Hunger is the best sauce. Hunger makes hard bones
sweet beans. .

180 As easy as rolling off a log.

( ) Piece of cake.
181 To get so caught up in fun that
you lose track of where your .
work is (eg. your axe handle is
rotting).
182 Failure is but a stepping
stone to success.
183 When the hard work of a
decade is gone like one day in
a flash.
184 Even the mountains change in
10 years. .
185 You get what you pay for. Cheapest is dearest. .
186
.
.

.
(: . Ilisha
elongate (Bennett),Chinese herring, Slender shad, Hira)
187 Whats done is done.
.

188 Like father, like son. .

A chip off the old block.
189 Knowledge is power. .

190 Evil spirit of the day light. Everything is obvious in the

light of day. .

191 Love me, love my dog.

.
.
192 ? No smoke without fire.

193 When it rains, it pourswhen
things go wrong, even .
unexpected things go wrong to
add insult to injury.
194 You cant even drink cold
water in front of a child, they .
notice everything!
195 Out of sight, out of mind.

.
196 It is a sad house when the hen .
crows louder than the cock. .
197 Its best to do something
yourself even if its difficult. .
198 Whoever helps you in your A friend in need is a friend
time of need or trouble is a indeed.
true friend.

.
199 It is within a stone's throw. .

200 Its no use crying over spilt .

milk
What's done cannot be
undone.
201 Adding insult to injury. ,
It never rains but it pours.
202 Three women make a market. .

203 The deep sea can be fathomed, ,
but who knows the hearts of ?
men
.

204 Little strokes fell great oaks. If at first you dont succeed, .
try, try again.
( A faint heart never won a
) lady.
205 Even 10 guards cannot stop a
burglar. .
206 If you hurt one finger, all the
other fingers hurt with it. .
i.e. no matter how many kids
you have, they are all equally
important to their parents.
All my ten fingers hurt alike if
I bite them. Every child is
dear to his parents.
207 To ignore ones duties, but to ,
put great care into other areas .
of selfish interest.

208 Soft words beget soft words. .

Scratch my back, and I'll
scratch yours.
209 Don't put off today's work .
until tomorrow.
210 A tree you can not climb do
not bother to look up cat. .

211 A miss is as good as a mile. .

212 Fine clothes make the man. Fine feathers make fine birds. ,
The tailor makes the man.
213 Nothings perfecteven jade Straight trees have crooked
has dust on it. roots.
.
214 Better to be a dogs head
than to be a lions tail.
(
)
215 Who gives milk to a child that The squeaky wheel gets the
is not crying? oil. ,
.
216 A frog in the well knows A big fish in a little pond. Its
nothing of the great ocean. easy to be famous in a small
community.

217 To seek hot water under cold .

ice. .

218 Though you dig a well, dig A rolling stone gathers no .

but one well. moss. One cannot have one's
cake and eat it. Dont forget
your first resolution.
219 Face the music.
,

220 Calm voice and words is A soft answer turns away
contagious in the face of wrath. .
anothers anger.

221 If you laugh, blessing will ,
come your way. .
222 The fish always stinks from
the head downwards. .
223 Meeting ones enemy you
single log bridge.
?

224 A monkey sometimes falls Even Homer sometimes
from the tree. nods.
No one is perfect all the time. A good marksman may miss.
A horse may stumble though
he has four legs.
225 According to ones taste. .

226 Out of the mouth comes evil. .

227 Poking a needle into a ,

sleeping tiger. ?
.

228 , A person learns from his A burnt child dreads the fire.
mistakes and does not repeat
them.

229 There is no such thing as a Little dogs have long tails.

little country. .
.
230 Searching for a needle in a
haystack.
231 Still waters run deep.

.
232 , Might is right. ,

233 Wake not a sleeping lion.
?
.

234 One man sows and another

man reaps.

235 Heavy work in youth is quiet

rest in old age. , .

236 Everyone has his own

standard.
237 ? A man cant give his bad
habits even to his dog.

238 Blaming one person for the Go home and kick the dog.
faults of another.
239 . ( Bitters do good to the ,
) stomach. A good medicine
tastes bitter.
240 When nothing goes right.
.
241 To work hard only to benefit .
others, like making a stew,
only to have a dog eat it.
242 Finders keepers, loser
weepers.
243 If you can't stand the heat,
get out of the kitchen.
.

244 Every dog has his day.

It is darkest before the dawn.
. ,
.

245 To seek a mouse hole. .

To look for a place to hide,
out of embarrassment.
246 Nobody knows.

247 To not even know the most .

trifling things- an ignoramus.
248 Slow and steady wins the race. Diligence makes success.
I Keep your nose to the .
grindstone and you will
succeed. Remember the
tortoise and the hare (rabbit).
249 If you step on the earth worm,
he wriggles. Even a worm will
turn.

250 Bad habits follow you .
everywhere, as a leaking
gourd leaks both at home and
in the field.
251 Everything has its match.
Every Jack has his Jill.
252 No man goes carelessly by a
place where profit is.

253 Little by little one goes far. .

Step by step one goes a long
way.
254 , New clothes are good, but old
friends are the best. .

255 As useless as trying to cut .

water with a knife. .
256 You reap what you sow. .
There is making no apples of
plums. You cannot make a
silk purse out of a sow's ear.
257 Youve cried wolf too many :
times. ,
Everyone has a skeleton in
the closet.
258 He who runs after two hares .
will catch neither.
259 A penny saved is a penny
earned. Tall oaks grow .
from little acorns. Drop by
drop fills the tub. Many
drops make shower. Many
grains of sand will sink a
ship. Little drops of water
make the mighty ocean.
260 Charity begins at home. The
shirt is nearer than the coat.
261 You could sell him the .
Brooklyn Bridge. ,
.
262 You may lead a horse to
water, but you cannot make .
him drink.
263 Children raised in their
parents arms will continue to .
treat their parents well as
adults.
264 Family is more loyal than Blood is thicker than water.
acquaintances.
265 Blood will tell.
.
266 There is not one grave without .
an excuse. Every why has a
wherefore.
267 See one, know them all. From If youve seen one, youve .
one learn all. seen them all.
268 Overweight people dont
know the sky is high; only that .
the ground is broad.
269 When something/ someone
suddenly disappears, you
wonder if theyve gone up to
the sky or under the ground.
270 Even if the sky falls, there will
be a way to overcome. While .
there is life, there is hope.

271 One single nights loading

builds the great wall of China.
272 A puppy fears not the tiger. Fools rush in where angels .
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
fear to tread. .
273 There is no royal read to
learning.

274 To work so as to sabotage

ones own self, like looking
up into the sky and spitting.
275 In one ear and out the other. In one ear and out the other. .

276 When the word is out it You cant retrieve your ,
belongs to another. words once they are spoken.

277 You cant get full off of one
spoonful of rice.
278 Throw away like an old shoe.
Rome was not built in a day.
Great things take a lot of ,
work and time to be .
accomplished.
279 Any younger brother is not
better than the elder brother. .
, ,
,
.

280 Nothing ventured, nothing

gained. Glory is the fair child
of peril. He who would
search for pearls must dive
below.
281 A stitch in time saves nine.

282 In the country of the blind,

. the one-eyed man is king. .
When the cat's away, the
mice will play.
283 Live well and live forever.
.
.
284 Even a tiger will pass by when Talk of angels, and you will
youre talking about him. hear their wings. To .
mention the wolfs name is to
see the same. Talk of the
devil, and he is sure to
appear.
285 Good fortune came out of the
blue.

286 It is not the great coat that

makes the gentleman. .

287 A journey to remove a lump The biter is bit. Go for wool .

only added one on to find and come home shorn.
loss when one sought profit.
288 Went to hunt a wild pig and A bird in the hand is worth
lost my tame one. two in the bush. .

289 We must encourage good

deeds (like business .
negotiations) and discourage
bad ones (like arguments).