Common Four-Character Idioms
A 사자성어 (sajaseongeo) is a set phrase made of four Chinese characters. These crop up constantly in writing and in formal speech.
1. 유비무환 (有備無患)
'Be prepared and there's nothing to fear.' Get ready in advance and you'll have no worries — being prepared means no trouble.
유비무환이라고, 비상금을 미리 모아 두었어요.
Yubimuhwan-irago, bisanggeumeul miri moa dueosseoyo.
As they say, preparation prevents worry — so I set aside emergency money ahead of time.
2. 금상첨화 (錦上添花)
'Adding flowers on top of silk' — a good thing made even better.
월급도 오르고 승진까지 했으니 금상첨화네요.
Wolgeupdo oreugo seungjinkkaji haesseuni geumsangcheomhwaneyo.
My salary went up and I got promoted on top of it — truly the icing on the cake.
고진감래라더니 힘든 시간이 지나니 좋은 날이 왔어요.
Gojingamnaeradeoni himdeun sigani jinani joeun nari wasseoyo.
They say sweetness follows hardship — and sure enough, good days arrived after the rough patch.
그는 우유부단해서 결정을 잘 못 내려요.
Geuneun uyubudanhaeseo gyeoljeongeul jal mot naeryeoyo.
He's so indecisive that he can never quite make up his mind.
이번 일은 일석이조예요. 운동도 되고 돈도 벌어요.
Ibeon ireun ilseogijoyeyo. Undongdo doego dondo beoreoyo.
This is killing two birds with one stone — it's exercise and it earns money.
3. Effort and change: 대기만성 (大器晩成) and 새옹지마 (塞翁之馬)
대기만성 means 'a great vessel is finished late' — great people come into their own later in life. 새옹지마 means that life's misfortunes and blessings are impossible to predict.
대기만성이라고, 그는 마흔에 빛을 봤어요.
Daegimanseong-irago, geuneun maheune bicheul bwasseoyo.
As they say, great talent matures late — he came into his own at forty.
인생은 새옹지마라 나쁜 일도 복이 될 수 있어요.
Insaengeun saeongjimara nappeun ildo bogi doel su isseoyo.
Life is unpredictable, so even a misfortune can turn into a blessing.
말과 행동이 다르니 언행일치가 안 되네요.
Malgwa haengdongi dareuni eonhaengilchiga an doeneyo.
His words and his actions don't line up — he doesn't practice what he preaches.
그 둘은 막상막하라 누가 이길지 몰라요.
Geu dureun maksangmakhara nuga igilji mollayo.
The two are neck and neck, so there's no telling who'll win.
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 유비무환 (有備無患) | Preparation prevents trouble |
| 금상첨화 (錦上添花) | Icing on the cake; good made better |
| 고진감래 (苦盡甘來) | Sweetness after hardship |
| 우유부단 (優柔不斷) | Indecisive |
| 일석이조 (一石二鳥) | Two birds with one stone |
| 대기만성 (大器晩成) | Great talent matures late |
| 새옹지마 (塞翁之馬) | Fortune is unpredictable |
| 언행일치 (言行一致) | Words match deeds |
| 막상막하 (莫上莫下) | Evenly matched |
💡 Tip: You don't need to read the hanja — just learn the meaning and the sound. In speech, tacking on ~(이)라고 makes them flow naturally.