Korean Proverbs and English Equivalents: Words and Examples

Korean Proverbs and English Equivalents at a Glance

Many Korean proverbs share an idea with an English proverb but use a different picture. English says the horse has bolted, and Korean says the cow is gone. English says too many cooks, and Korean says too many boatmen. This page pairs the Korean sayings with their nearest English saying and rates how close the match is, so you know when you can translate and when you need to explain. The ratings are an editorial judgement, not an official measure. Where English has no set proverb, the page says so and gives the idea in plain English.

The page belongs to Korean Proverbs, which teaches 40 sayings in all. For the thirty most-quoted proverbs, with no English pairing, see Famous Korean Proverbs With Meanings.

Which Proverbs with English Equivalents Should You Learn First?

Start with the proverbs that have a close English twin, because you already know the idea. Then learn the ones that do not, because they teach you something new about Korean life.

• Learn first (very close). 뿌린 대로 거둔다, 시간이 약이다, 엎질러진 물, 지렁이도 밟으면 꿈틀한다, 마른하늘에 날벼락.
• Learn next (close). 백지장도 맞들면 낫다, 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다, 서울 가서 김 서방 찾기, 티끌 모아 태산.
• Learn for fun (loose or none). 가는 날이 장날, 하늘이 무너져도 솟아날 구멍이 있다, 같은 값이면 다홍치마, 공짜라면 양잿물도 마신다.

The scene below is a market street with a farmhouse, a cowshed, a boat, a road and a rain cloud. Ten numbered objects match ten proverbs. Tap a number to hear the proverb.

Word · 10

1. 1

   소 잃고 외양간 고친다

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   so ilko oeyanggan gochinda

   lock the stable door after the horse has bolted

2. 2

   백지장도 맞들면 낫다

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   baekjijangdo matdeulmyeon natda

   many hands make light work

3. 3

   하늘이 무너져도 솟아날 구멍이 있다

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   haneuri muneojyeodo sosanal gumeongi itda

   where there is a will there is a way (loosely; there is no neat match)

4. 4

   가는 날이 장날

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   ganeun nari jangnal

   just my luck (a plain phrase, not a proverb)

5. 5

   사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다

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   sagongi maneumyeon baega saneuro ganda

   too many cooks spoil the broth

6. 6

   뿌린 대로 거둔다

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   ppurin daero geodunda

   you reap what you sow

7. 7

   마른하늘에 날벼락

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   mareunhaneure nalbyeorak

   a bolt from the blue

8. 8

   쥐구멍에도 볕 들 날 있다

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   jwigumeongedo byeot deul nal itda

   every dog has its day

9. 9

   티끌 모아 태산

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   tikkeul moa taesan

   many a little makes a mickle

10. 10

    우는 아이 젖 준다

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    uneun ai jeot junda

    the squeaky wheel gets the grease

Same Idea, Different Image

The best Korean proverbs to learn first are the ones with an English twin. The idea is the same, but the picture comes from a different world. English has a stable and a horse where Korean has a cowshed and a cow. English has cooks where Korean has boatmen. Seeing the two pictures side by side makes both easier to remember.

Example Sentences

Treat the Korean proverb and its English twin as a pair. First say the Korean saying, then the English one, and check that your listener knows the English. Three patterns cover almost every row. First, a noun-phrase proverb with 이에요 or 예요: 이미 엎질러진 물이에요, 마른하늘에 날벼락이에요. Second, a quoted saying with 라고 하니까: 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다고 하니까 담당자를 한 명만 정해요. Third, an example with 거예요: 소 잃고 외양간 고치는 거예요. Play each sentence, repeat it, then swap in a new situation.

How Do You Say Close Matches in Korean?

These six are the nearest to their English counterparts, with almost the same picture as well as the same idea. If you know the English saying, you can often guess the Korean one. They are the safest ones to translate, but still learn the Korean form exactly as it is.

No English Match

These six have no neat English twin. The English in the tables is only the nearest idea, and a few have no set English proverb at all. They are often the most fun to learn, because they show Korean life: market days, local magistrates, mustard and skirts. Say them to Korean friends and see what they think.

How Do You Say Proverbs about Weather and Nature in Korean?

Weather and nature give Korean its images of patience and change. Rain, mountains, mice, birds and whales are the pictures here. People in farming communities watched the sky and the ground closely, and the proverbs reflect that. Three of the six also have English twins: 낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다 matches "walls have ears", 고래 싸움에 새우 등 터진다 matches "when elephants fight, the grass suffers", and 쥐구멍에도 볕 들 날 있다 matches "every dog has its day".

Proverbs about Money and Work

Money and work make up the last six. They are practical, a little cynical and often funny. Learners like them because they come up in office talk, in the news and at the family table. Use them about things and situations, not to put a person down.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Long proverbs are full of double consonants, linking and tensing. The hardest sounds on this page come from words with a 사이시옷 (a linking ㅅ), such as 낙숫물 and 댓돌, and from clusters such as 값 and 엎. Standard pronunciation follows the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) rules, and the romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which does not write tensing caused by a neighbouring sound.

Break long proverbs at the natural pause, as in 사공이 많으면 / 배가 산으로 간다. Stress the key word in each half and let the rest fall away.

Audio and Slow Playback

Each word and sentence has its own clip. The clips below replay the five longest or trickiest proverbs at a slower pace. Play one, repeat it, then play it again and compare.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Proverbs with English Equivalents?

Five mistakes come up often.

1. Treating the English twin as exact. Even a very close match can differ in tone. 백지장도 맞들면 낫다 is about help with a light job, and 'many hands make light work' is about sharing a big one.
2. Saying the Korean picture in English. An English speaker who hears 'fixing the cowshed after losing the cow' may not know what you mean. Use the English twin when you speak English.
3. Using 가는 날이 장날 for any bad luck. It is about timing: you arrive just when something is unexpected, such as a closed shop. It is not for illness or accidents.
4. Swapping the animals. Say 낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다 (birds hear the day, mice hear the night). Saying it the other way round changes the saying.
5. Forgetting to quote. In a sentence, say 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다고 해요. The plain form on its own sounds as if you were reading a poster aloud.

The first mistake is the most common. The English match is a guide to the idea, not a translation.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Run the deck in recognition mode until each proverb matches its English twin, then switch to listening mode and take the quiz. The deck holds all 30 words with audio, and your progress stays in your browser. The vocabulary flashcard decks page lists the other decks, including the Korean proverbs flashcards.

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, copy five proverbs from the tables, cover the English column and write the English twin from memory.

Where to Go Next

Read the thirty most-quoted sayings in Famous Korean Proverbs With Meanings. To go up, return to Korean Proverbs. For sayings built from four Chinese characters, see the four-character idioms lessons.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Lock the Stable after the Horse Is Gone in Korean?

The Korean proverb is 소 잃고 외양간 고친다 (so ilko oeyanggan gochinda), literally 'fixing the cowshed after losing the cow'. The idea matches the English proverb, and the picture is almost the same. Say 이미 소 잃고 외양간 고치는 거예요 for 'It is too late now'.

How Do You Pronounce 백지장도 맞들면 낫다 (baekjijangdo matdeulmyeon natda)?

Say it as [백찌장도 맏뜰면 낟따]. After the final ㄱ of 백, ㅈ becomes tense. In 맞들면 the final ㅈ is said [ㄷ] and the ㄷ that follows becomes tense. In 낫다 the final ㅅ is said [ㄷ], and again the next ㄷ becomes tense.

How Many Proverbs with English Equivalents Should I Learn First?

Start with the seven very close pairs: 소 잃고 외양간 고친다, 뿌린 대로 거둔다, 시간이 약이다, 엎질러진 물, 지렁이도 밟으면 꿈틀한다, 낙숫물이 댓돌을 뚫는다 and 마른하늘에 날벼락. You already know the idea, so only the Korean words are new.

Where Can I Practise Proverbs with English Equivalents with Flashcards?

The deck on this page holds all 30 words with audio. Use recognition mode first, then listening mode. The Korean proverbs flashcards deck and other decks are on the vocabulary flashcard decks page.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which South Korea adopted on 7 July 2000 and whose rules the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) publishes. It is a learning aid and does not mark every sound change, so rely on the Hangul and the audio.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Proverbs with English Equivalents?

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For additional practice, you can copy the tables onto paper and cover the English column to test yourself.

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