Collection
Korean proverbs for everyday life
One hundred Korean sayings with English renderings and explanations. Traditional sayings describe many sides of life; they are not all advice to follow literally.
Words to explore
The day you go happens to be market day.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Kind words going out bring kind words coming back.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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The crayfish sides with the crab.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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The farther you go, the higher the mountains.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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At the same price, choose the scarlet skirt.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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The frog forgets its tadpole days.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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A dragon rises from a small stream.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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A shrimp's back breaks in a fight between whales.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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After hardship comes joy.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Would a carefully built tower collapse?
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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A rice cake in a picture.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Even Mount Geumgang comes after a meal.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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A pear falls just as the crow takes flight.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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A long tail gets stepped on.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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A chicken instead of a pheasant.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Eat the pheasant and its eggs.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Birds hear daytime words; mice hear nighttime words.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Eating rice cake while lying down.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Swallow what is sweet and spit out what is bitter.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Eat a chicken and present a duck's foot.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Tap even a stone bridge before crossing.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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It is dark beneath the lamp.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Hold the rite while the rice cake is at hand.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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Drink the kimchi broth before anyone has offered rice cake.
β Korean proverb; individual author and earliest origin unknown
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