Proverbs & Idioms

Proverbs capture wisdom in short sayings, while idioms are fixed figurative phrases whose meaning differs from their literal words. Advanced learners master these to use them naturally in conversation.

Common proverbs

발 없는 말이 천 리 간다.

Bal eopsneun mar-i cheon ri ganda.

Words without feet travel a thousand miles. (Rumors spread fast.)

가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다.

Ganeun mar-i gowaya oneun mar-i gopda.

If the words you send are kind, the words you get back are kind too.

티끌 모아 태산.

Tikkeul moa taesan.

Gather specks of dust and you get a great mountain. (Little by little adds up.)

백지장도 맞들면 낫다.

Baekjijang-do matdeulmyeon natda.

Even a sheet of paper is lighter lifted together. (Many hands make light work.)

호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다.

Horangi-do je mal hamyeon onda.

Even a tiger comes when you speak of it. (Speak of the devil.)

Common idioms

Many idioms are built from body-part words.

그 사람은 발이 넓어요.

Geu saram-eun bar-i neolbeoyo.

That person has wide feet. (They know a lot of people.)

시험에 떨어져서 미역국을 먹었어요.

Siheom-e tteoreojyeoseo miyeokgug-eul meogeosseoyo.

I ate seaweed soup because I failed the exam. (To fail/flunk.)

그 일에는 손을 떼기로 했어요.

Geu il-eneun son-eul ttegiro haesseoyo.

I decided to wash my hands of that matter. (To stop involvement.)

Register and context

Idioms and proverbs suit casual conversation and columns but rarely appear in formal reports or papers. A joking idiom directed at a senior can sound rude, so always weigh context and register.

Idiom	Literal	Real meaning
눈이 높다	eyes are high	to have high standards
입이 무겁다	mouth is heavy	to keep secrets well
손이 크다	hands are big	to be generous
귀가 얇다	ears are thin	easily persuaded
바람을 맞다	to get hit by wind	to be stood up
발을 끊다	to cut one's foot	to stop visiting
코가 높다	nose is high	to be haughty

💡 Tip: With proverbs and idioms, the situation and tone matter. Don't translate them literally—memorize them as whole units and use them in the right context.

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