Korean Proverbs--¤¡

°¡±î¿î ±æ ¸¶´ÙÇÏ°í ¸Õ ±æ·Î °£´Ù.
close road each and far road by go
Each time their is a close road you take the far one.

Doing things the hard way. You have to do it the hard way don't you? This proverb is used when someone insists on choosing the most difficult of several methods that will all result in simmilar outcomes.æ.
 
 

°¡±î¿î ³²ÀÌ ¸Õ ÀÏ°¡º¸´Ù ³´´Ù.
close other far home more better
Others who are close by are better than a far off home.

 

Close friends who are near you are better than home and family who live far away.

 
 

°¡³­ÇÑ Áý¿¡ ÀÚ½Ä ¸¹´Ù.
poor house in children many
A poor family has many children.

Poor people have many children. This proverb can be litteral or it can indicate that in poverty it can be difficult to feed even a small family making the responsibilty seem enormous.
 

°¡´Â ¼Õ´Ô µÚ²ÀÁö°¡ ¿¹»Ú´Ù.
go guest disappointingly pretty
The departing guest is disappointingly pretty.

When circumstances make entertaining guests difficult one apreciates the visitor who leaves early. The best visit, under some circumstances, is a short visit.
 

°¡´Â Á¤ÀÌ ÀÖ¾î¾ß ¿À´Â Á¤ÀÌ ÀÖ´Ù.
If affection is to be recieved, it must first be given.

To have a friend, first be a friend.


 

°¡´Ù ¸»¸é ¾È °¡´À´Ï¸¸ ¸øÇÏ´Ù.
go say if not go because can't do
If you say you go you can't make excuses later.

If after taking on a task you decide to quit, then you never really decided to do it in the first place. Keep your word.  

°¡¶ûºñ¿¡ ¿Ê Á¥´Â ÁÙ ¸ð¸¥´Ù.
drizzle in clothes soaked not know.
You don't realize your clothes are soaked when it's only drizzling.

The way to boil a frog is to put him in a pot of cold water and slowly turn up the heat. He'll never notice the change and so will never hop out. Alternately--By small and simple things, great things are brought to pass. This proverb suggests that seemingly small acts or events can have large consequenses.  

°¡¶ûÀÙÀÌ ¼ÖÀÙ´õ·¯ ¹Ù½º¶ô°Å¸°´Ù°í ÇÑ´Ù.
fallen leaf tells the pine needle it rustles
The fallen leaf says the pine needle is noisy.

The pot calling the kettle black. This proverb is identical in meaning to the parable of the mote and the beam.

 

°¡·Á¿î °÷ ±Ü¾î ÁÖµí.

ºÒÅàÇѵ¥°¡ ¾øµµ·Ï ¿©·¯ ¸¶À½À» ½á ½ÃÁßÀ» µç´Ù´Â ¶æ.  

°¡À» ºÎä´Â ½Ã¼¼°¡ ¾ø´Ù.

 

¾²´Â ½Ã±â°¡ Áö³­ °ÍÀº °ª¾îÄ¡°¡ ¾ø´Ù´Â ¶æ.
 

°¨ ¾ð ÀÌ ¼³
sweet words profit persuasion/speech
Sweet words and profitable persuasion.

Sweet talk.  While the English expression 'sweet talk' is used only informally, the Korean version of this saying can be used both informally and to describe a particularly persuasive speech or argument.  The connotation can be either positive or negative.
 

°°Àº °ªÀÌ¸é ´ÙÈ« Ä¡¸¶.
same price is if crimson skirt
If it's the same price choose the crimson skirt.

This proverb suggests that when there is an option choose the best one available.  In premodern korea a crimson skirt was worn only by young women who had never been maried.  Naturally prospective inlaws considered this an important factor when choosing a bride for their son.
 
 

°³°¡ ´Ù ¿ô°Ú´Ù.
dogs all laugh would
The dogs would all laugh.

That was a dirty trick.

³Ê¹« ¾î󱸴Ͼø´Â ÀÏÀ̶ó´Â ¶æ.
 

°³ ÆÈÀÚ°¡ »óÆÈÀÚ´Ù.

ÁÖ´À ´ë·Î ¸Ô°í ÀÚ´Â °³°¡ ºÎ·´´Ù´Â ¶æÀ¸·Î ,ÀÏÀÌ °í»ý½º·¯¿î ¶§ ¾²´Â ¸».
 

°´Áö »ýÈ° »ï ³â¿¡ °ñÀÌ ºó´Ù.

ÁýÀ» ³ª¿Í °´Áö·Î µ¹¾Æ´Ù´Ï°Ô µÇ¸é ¾Æ¹«¸® Àß ÇØÁØ´Ù Çصµ °í»ýÀÌ µÈ´Ù´Â ¸».

°Å µÎ Àý ¹Ì
throw away head cut tail
Cut off the tail and throw away the head.

Don't beat around the bush.  Get straight to the point.

 

°ÅÁö³¢¸® µ¿³É ¹Ù°¡Áö ±ü´Ù.

¼­·Î µµ¿Í ÁÖ°í µ¿Á¤ÇØ¾ß ÇÒ »ç¶÷µéÀÌ ¼­·Î ´ÙÅõ°í ÇØÄ£´Ù´Â ¸».
 

°ÆÁ¤µµ ÆÈÀÚ.

¾Æ¹« °ü°èµµ ¾øÀ¸¸é¼­µµ ³²ÀÇ ÀÏ¿¡ Âü°ßÇÏ´Â »ç¶÷À» ºñ¿ô´Â ¸».

°ÆÁ¤ÀÌ ¹ÝÂùÀÌ¸é »ó´Ù¸®°¡ ºÎ·¯Áø´Ù.


 



°ÆÁ¤À» ÇÏ°íÀÚ µé¸é ³¡µµ ¾ø´Â °Í, ¾µµ¥¾øÀÌ ÇÏ´Â °ÆÁ¤¿¡ ¸øÀ» ¹Ú±â À§ÇØ ÇÏ´Â ¸».
 

°ÉÀ½¾Æ ³ª »ì·Á¶ó.


 



À§ÇèÀÌ ´ÚÃÄ ±ÞÇÏ°Ô ¶Ù¾î°¥ ¶§ ¾²´Â ¸».
 

°ËÀº ¸Ó¸® ÆĻѸ® µÇµµ·Ï.


 



°ËÀº ¸Ó¸®°¡ ÆĻѸ®Ã³·³ ÇϾé°Ô µÈ´Ù ÇÔÀÌ´Ï ¾ÆÁÖ ´Äµµ·Ï±îÁö¶ó´Â ¶æ.
 

°Ô´« °¨Ãßµí ÇÑ´Ù.


 



À½½ÄÀ» ¸ÔÀ» ¶§ ¸Å¿ì »¡¸® ¸Ô¾î Ä¡¿î´Ù´Â ¸».
 
 

°Ü¿ïÀÌ Áö³ªÁö ¾Ê°í º½ÀÌ ¿À·ª.


 



¼¼»ó ÀÏÀº ¾î¶² °ÍÀ̳ª ¼ø¼­°¡ ÀÖ´Â °ÍÀÌ´Ï ±ÞÇÏ´Ù°íÇÏ¿© ¾ïÁö·Î ÇÒ ¼ö ¾ø´Ù´Â ¸»
 
 

°Ü¿ï È­·ÔºÒÀº ¾î¸Ó´Ïº¸´Ù ³´´Ù.


 



Ãß¿î °Ü¿ï¿¡´Â µûµíÇÑ °ÍÀÌ Á¦ÀÏ ÁÁ´Ù´Â ¶æ.
 

°æÁÖ µ¹ÀÌ¸é ´Ù ¿Áµ¹Àΰ¡?


 



°æÁÖ¿¡¼­ ¿Áµ¹ÀÌ ¸¹ÀÌ ³­´Ù°í Çؼ­ °æÁÖÀÇ µ¹À» ´Ù ¿Áµ¹À̶ó°í ÇÒ ¼ö´Â ¾ø´Ù´Â ¶æÀÌ´Ï,ÁÁÀº °ÍÀÌ ¸¹Àº °¡¿îµ¥ ³ª»Û °Íµµ ¼¯¿© ÀÖ´Ù´Â ¸».
 

 
 

°æ Ä¡°í Æ÷µµÃ» °£´Ù.


 




Á×À» ¿åÀ» º¸°íµµ ¶Ç Æ÷µµÃ»¿¡ ÀâÇô°¡ ¹úÀ¸ ¹Þ´Â °Íó·³ ¸Å¿ì Ȥµ¶ÇÑ Çü¹úÀ» °Åµì ´çÇÑ´Ù´Â ¶æ.
 

 

°è¶õÀ̳ª ´Þ°¿À̳ª.
Egg or egg is?
Is it an egg or an egg?

Is it a sack or a bag? What's in a name? A rose by any other name smells just as sweet. Just semantics.


 

 

°í±â´Â ¾Ã¾î¾ß ¸ÀÀÌ°í ¸»Àº ÇØ¾ß ¸ÀÀÌ´Ù.


 



¼ÓÀ¸·Î ²þ²þ°Å¸®Áö ¸»°í ÇÒ ¸»Àº ½Ã¿øÇÏ°Ô ÇØ¾ß ÀÏÀÌ Àß Ã³¸®µÈ´Ù´Â ¸».
 

 

°í·¡ ½Î¿ò¿¡ »õ¿ì µî ÅÍÁø´Ù.
whale fight in shrimp back break
When whales fight shrimp backs are broken.


The weak are often hurt by the actions of the powerful.  This applies to nations as well as individuals.  Korea is surrounded not only by ocean but by great military powers.  China and Japan have repeatedly warred with each other.  Since Korea is between the two countries, these wars resulted in repeated invasions and occupations of the country.  Korea's wariness of whales led to the long isolationist period during which the nation was dubbed the Hermit Kingdom.  Today the penninsula has been divided down its backbone by two new whales the former Soviet Union and the United States.
 

 

°í»ý ³¡¿¡ ³«ÀÌ ¿Â´Ù.
suffer end at happiness comes
Happiness is at the end of suffring.


 


If you want the rainbow, you must have the rain.  Suffring will refine the soul and happiness follows it.  The man who became a cow is an example of this maxim in action.
 

 

°í¾çÀÌ º¸°í ¹ÝÂù°¡°Ô ÁöÄÑ ´Þ¶õ´Ù.


 


±ÍÁßÇÑ °ÍÀ» ¹ÏÀ» ¼ö ¾ø´Â »ç¶÷¿¡°Ô ¸Ã°Ü ¿ÀÈ÷·Á ÀÒ°Ô µÈ´Ù´Â ¸».
 

 

°ðÀº ³ª¹«´Â Àç¸ñÀ¸·Î ¾²ÀÌ°í ,±ÁÀº ³ª¹«´Â È­¸ñÀ¸·Î ¾²ÀδÙ.


 




¸ðµç °ÍÀº ±× Àç´É¿¡ µû¶ó ¸ðµÎ ¾²ÀÏ µ¥°¡ ÀÖ´Ù´Â ¶æ.
 

 

°ðÀº ³ª¹«°¡ ¸ÕÀú ²©ÀδÙ.


 



°ðÀº ³ª¹«´Â Àç¸ñÀ¸·Î ¾µ µ¥°¡ ¸¹±â ¶§¹®¿¡ ¸ÕÀú º£ÀÌ°í, »ç¶÷µµ Àß³­ »ç¶÷ÀÌ ÀÏÂï Á״´ٴ ¸».
 

°úºÎ »çÁ¤Àº °úºÎ°¡ ¾È´Ù.


 


³²ÀÇ »çÁ¤Àº °°ÀºÀº óÁö¿¡ ÀÖ´Â »ç¶÷À̶ó¾ß ¾Ë ¼ö ÀÖ´Ù´Â ¸».
 

²ÀµÎ »õº®
very early morning
before the crack of dawn

±¸··ÀÌ ´ã ³Ñ¾î°¡µí ÇÑ´Ù.


 


±¸··ÀÌ°¡ ´ãÀ» ³Ñ¾î°¡µí ½½±×¸Ó´Ï ¾ó¹ö¹«¸®°í Áö³ª°¡´Â °ÍÀ» ¸»ÇÔ.
 

 

±º °è ÀÏ ÇÐ
flock chicken one crane
A crane in a chicken flock.


 

The cream of the crop.  A rose among the thorns.  The crane is a symbol of the Confucian scholar.  He is learned, wise, aged, and dignified.  During my first visit to Korea as a missionary, I bought a tie with two cranes on it.  It is quite a nice tie but I cannot wear it.  A freind taught me that I was much to young to wear the symbol of the crane.
 

±Àº¬À̵µ ±¸¸£´Â ÀçÁÖ°¡ ÀÖ´Ù.


 


¾Æ¹«¸® ¹Ì·ÃÇÏ°í º¸À߰;ø´Â °ÍÀÏÁö¶óµµ ÇÑ °¡Áö ÀçÁÖ´Â ÀÖ´Ù´Â ¸».
 

 

²ÞÀ̾ß, »ý½Ã¾ß


 


¹Ï±â ¾î·Á¿î ÀÏÀÌ ÀϾÀ» ¶§ ¾²´Â ¸».
 

 

±×¸²ÀÇ È£¶ûÀÌ
picture of tiger
a picture of a tiger

A paper lion.  All bark and no bite.  Something or someone that appears dreadful but is really powerless.


 

±× ¾Æºñ¿¡ ±× ÀÚ½ÄÀÌ´Ù.
That father at that son is.
Like father like son. (Negative in connotation.)
See ºÎÀü ÀÚÀü


 


¾Æºñ°¡ ¸øµÈ »ç¶÷À̸é Àڽĵµ ¸øµÈ »ç¶÷ÀÌ µÈ´Ù´Â ¸».
 

 

±Ý°­»êµµ ½ÄÈÄ°æÀÌ´Ù.
Diamond Back Mountans eat after are
Even the Diamond Back Mountains can be apreciated only on a full stomach.

Physical needs come first. Finer and higher things can not be fully appreciated when one is struggling just to get bare necessities.
The Diamond Back Mountains are one of Korea's natural wonders but were sealed off in the North until recently. Guided tours have recently been arranged to allow South Koreans to visit the mountains.
 

 

±â»ý ¿À¶óºñ °°´Ù.


 


¹Ýµé¹ÝµéÇÏ°Ô ¸ð¾çÀ» ³»°í ´Ù´Ï´Â ³²ÀÚ¸¦ ³î¸®´Â ¸».
 

 

±â¿Í ÇÑ Àå ¾Æ³¢·Á´Ù ´ëµéº¸ ½âÈù´Ù.


 


Á¶±×¸¶ÇÑ °ÍÀ» ¾Æ³¢´Ù°¡ ¿ÀÈ÷·Á ¹È ¼ÕÇظ¦ º»´Ù´Â ¶æ.
 

 

±èÄ©±¹ºÎÅÍ ¸¶½Å´Ù.


 



³²ÀÇ ¼Óµµ ¸ð¸£°í Á¦ ÁüÀÛÀ¸·Î Áö·¹ ±×·¸°Ô µÉ °ÍÀ¸·Î ¹Ï°í ÇൿÇÑ´Ù´Â ¶æ.
 

 

±îºÒ±â´Â ÃË»õ °°´Ù.


 


°æ¸ÁÇÏ°Ô ÃͶû°Å¸®´Â »ç¶÷À» °¡¸®ÄÑ ÇÏ´Â ¸»
 

 

±úÁø ±×¸©
Broken Dish

Spilt milk. Unfixable.


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