Korean proverbs ranked by how often they turn up across 480,000+ YouTube videos, Netflix shows, and books
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#1·차면 넘친다[기운다]·Things will overflow[wane] if they are full Being excessive will make things rather imperfect.
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#2·주사위는 던져졌다·A dice was already thrown You have nothing but proceed or wait for the result because something has already happened and cannot be reversed.
#3·밑져야 본전·be able to save the principal even in case of a loss; have nothing to lose An expression used to refer to a situation where one makes no loss if things go wrong.
#4·하늘의 별 따기·picking a star in the sky An expression used to describe something that is very hard to gain or achieve.
#5·울며 겨자 먹기·eat mustard in tears To be forced to do something against one's will.
#6·등잔 밑이 어둡다·It is dark under the oil lamp; The beacon does not shine on its own base It is more difficult to notice something close.
#7·우물 안 개구리[고기]·a frog[fish] in a well; a babe in the woods A person who is full of self-conceit as he/she has a limited or narrow view of the world.
#8·꿀 먹은 벙어리·a mute who ate honey A person who can not say what he/she wants or thinks.
#9·긁어 부스럼·scratch to fester a wound To make a fuss to cause trouble that could have been spared.
#10·눈에는 눈(을) 이에는 이(를)·An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth The manner of doing harm to someone as much as he/she has done to oneself.
#11·산 넘어 산이다·One climbs over a hill only to face yet another hill; from smoke into smother; out of the frying pan into the fire For difficulties to linger and become more serious as time goes by.
#12·말이 씨가 된다·Words become a seed If something negative is said repeatedly, it may actually happen.
#13·김칫국부터 마신다·drink kimchitguk, kimchi liquid, first; count one's chickens before they are hatched To behave as if something is already done even before it happens.
#14·시작이 반이다·The beginning is half of something; A good beginning is half the battle; Well begun is half done It is difficult to start something, but it is not that difficult to finish it once started.
#15·겉 다르고 속 다르다·The outside is different and the inside is different For one's behavior and thoughts on the outside to be different from what is inside.
#16·누워서 떡 먹기·eating tteok, rice cake, while lying down; a piece of cake; Nothing is easier A proverb meaning something that is very easy to do.
#17·옥에 티·dust in the jade; flaw in the crystal A small flaw in something with everything else being great.
#18·팔이 안으로 굽는다·Arms bend inwardly; Men are blind in their own cause To side with someone who is close to oneself or favor something which is related to oneself to one's own advantage.
#19·겉과 속이 다르다·The outside and the inside are different For one's behavior and thoughts on the outside to be different from what is inside.
#20·병 주고 약 준다·give someone a disease and then medicine To do harm to someone and then pretend to help him/her.
#21·새 발의 피·blood in the bird's foot A very small quantity.
#22·앓느니 죽지·I would rather die than suffer It is better to gain satisfactory results by doing something for oneself even if it takes much more effort than having others do it and making less effort only to have poor results.
#23·한 귀로 듣고 한 귀로 흘린다·let something come into one ear and go out though the other; in one ear and out the other To fail to pay proper attention to what someone says.
#24·꿩 먹고 알 먹는다[먹기]·eat[eating] a pheasant and its eggs; kill two birds with one stone To gain more than two benefits with a single effort.
#25·배보다 배꼽이 더 크다·The belly button is bigger than the belly For something secondary to take more money or effort than something primary.
#26·재수가 옴 붙었다[붙다]·have bad luck attached like an itch[attached]; What rotten luck! To be very unlucky.
#27·가는 날이 장날·One's visiting day is a market day Just when one is about to do a certain thing, something unexpected occurs.
#28·티끌 모아 태산·Gathering dirt to make a big mountain; Many a mickle makes a muckle; Many drops make a shower; Little and often fills the purse An expression meaning even very small things can become huge if they accumulate.
#29·눈 가리고 아웅·say fee-faw-fum with covering someone's eyes; bury one's head ostrich-like in the sand The manner of trying to deceive someone with a shallow trick.
#30·하나만 알고 둘을 모른다·know only one thing, and not know two things An expression meaning you look at only one aspect of something and miss the entire situation of it.
#31·동에 번쩍 서에 번쩍·flashing in the east, flashing in the west ; dart in and out of places An expression to describe the manner in which someone or something darts in and out of places at an incredibly high speed.
#32·무소식이 희소식·No news is good news Getting no news means everything is going well, and therefore can be regarded as good news.
#33·쏟아진 물·spilt water Something that cannot be corrected or revoked as it has already happened.
#34·쇠뿔도 단김에 빼랬다[빼라]·You are advised to[should] pull out the horn of an ox at a breath; Strike the iron while it is hot; What's worth doing is worth doing promptly It is advised to start something as soon as one makes up one's mind.
#35·마른하늘에 날벼락[생벼락]·raw[crude] lightning in the dry sky; The unexpected always happens An unexpected disaster.
#36·도둑이 제 발 저리다·The thief himself/herself feels numb in his/her own feet; He that commits a wrongful act or mistake thinks everyone speaks of it For one to be bound to feel anxious if one is involved in misdeeds.
#37·갈수록 태산·Higher hills are ahead after climbing over hills; from smoke into smother For a situation to become more serious or difficult, as time goes by.
#38·호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다·A tiger will come if it is talked about; Talk of the Devil, and he is sure to appear An expression used to describe a situation where a person appears when someone else talks about him/her.
#39·계란으로 바위 치기·hitting a rock with an egg; a drop in the ocean; The elephant does not feel a flea bite A situation where one is facing very difficult circumstances or an uphill battle against a very strong opponent.
#40·옷이 날개라·Clothes are wings An expression to describe a situation where a good outfit makes one stand out.
#41·만나자 이별·parting upon meeting An expression used to describe a situation where two part as soon as they meet each other.
#42·소 잃고 외양간 고친다·repair the cowshed after the cow is stolen; lock the stable door after the horse is stolen There is no use in trying to fix something after it has already gone wrong.
#43·금이야 옥이야·my gold, my jade The manner in which one cares and cherishes one's beloved ones, including one's own child.
#44·누이 좋고 매부 좋다·be good for sister and good for her husband For a business or situation to be beneficial and good for each party involved.
#45·따 놓은 당상·a high government post that is guaranteed An expression used to describe a situation where one is so sure that something will definitely go as planned.
#46·밑 빠진 독[가마/항아리]에 물 붓기·pouring water in a dok, a jar,[a gama, a cauldron, or a pot] without a bottom A situation where one makes every effort in vain without reward.
#47·개천에서 용 난다·A dragon is born in a brook For a great person to arise from tough and humble circumstances.
#48·꿩 대신 닭·a chicken instead of a pheasant An expression to describe a situation where something is replaced with something else similar when the exact same thing is not found.
#49·걱정도 팔자(다)·worrying is one's destiny To worry about something that is insignificant.
#50·아끼다 똥 된다·If you save something too much, it will become dung If you save something too much, you will lose it or it will become useless.
#51·빛 좋은 개살구·a wild apricot with a good color Something that is good on the outside, but is not on the inside.
#52·고생을 사서 하다·buy and go through trouble To experience trouble that he/she could have been spared from if not for his/her own faulty actions.
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#53·입이 열 개라도 할 말이 없다·have nothing to say even if one has ten mouths To be unable to make any excuse because one's error was clearly revealed.
#54·믿는 도끼에 발등 찍힌다·get stabbed by an axe that one trusts; In trust is treason; Trust makes way for treachery; Trust is the mother of deceit To be harmed as someone whom one had trusted betrayed or something went wrong unexpectedly.
#55·가뭄에 콩 나듯 (한다)·like beans sprouting in a drought; once in a blue moon To happen very rarely.
#56·아닌 밤중에 홍두깨 (내밀듯)·(as if holding out) a wooden roller in the middle of the night; a great surprise; a bolt out of the blue An expression used to refer to a nonsensical word or behavior that is suddenly said or done.
#57·손 안 대고 코 풀기·blow one's nose without using hands To achieve something very easily without much effort.
#58·꾸어다[꿔다] 놓은 보릿자루·a borrowed barley bag; a cat in a strange garret A person who does not talk or get along with others and sits in the corner at a gathering.
#59·내 코가 석 자·My own nose is three feet long; have one's own fish to fry An expression used to describe a situation where one's own business is so urgent and difficult that one cannot afford to help others.
#60·모로 가도 서울만 가면 된다·Even if it is the wrong way, it does not matter as long as you reach Seoul; The end justifies the means It is important to achieve the aim regardless of the method or way.
#61·구관이 명관이다·The former official is a wise official Whatever it is, those who have done it several times before or are familiar with it will be better at it.
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#62·그 나물에 그 밥·Those vegetables and that rice An expression used to refer to a case where things that fit each other are paired together.
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#63·속 빈 강정·gangjeong, sweet rice puffs, whose inside is empty Something that is very showy on the outside, but hollow on the inside.
#64·입술에 침이나 바르지·Why don't you moisten your lips? An expression used to criticize a person who tells a palpable lie.
#65·하나를 보고[보면] 열[백]을 안다·know ten[one hundred] things after[if] watching one thing; be quick on the uptake; have a very perceptive mind An expression meaning you can easily understand the entire situation of something only by taking a look at some aspects of it.
#66·목구멍이 포도청·The throat is the police bureau An expression to describe a situation where one is forced to do something banned to make a living.
#67·죽 쑤어 개 준다·cook juk, porridge, and give it to a dog For one's achievement to be taken by someone or to do favor for the wrong person.
#68·그 어머니에 그 아들[딸]·that son[daughter] for that mother An expression used to describe a son or a daughter to resemble his or her mother in a variety of aspects.
#69·아니 땐 굴뚝에 연기 날까·No chimney discharges smoke without fire; Where there is smoke, there is fire; There is no smoke without fire An expression meaning there is no effect without a cause.
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#70·약과(를) 먹기(라)·(be) eating a yakgwa, a honey cookie Something that is easy and fun to do.
#71·썩어도 준치·Chinese herring is still Chinese herring even if it is rotten An expression meaning something whose original value is good will still be of worth even if it becomes old or worse.
#72·고생 끝에 낙이 온다·enjoy pleasure after going through hardships To enjoy joyful and good days after going through difficulties or a grind.
#73·원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다·Even a monkey can fall from a tree A person with long-term experience and good skills in something can sometimes make a mistake.
#74·번갯불에 콩 구워[볶아] 먹다·roast[fry] beans with lightning and eat them To behave in an impatient and hasty manner.
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#75·첫술에 배부르랴·You can never be full with the first bite An expression meaning you cannot be completely satisfied with something at one go.
#76·나는 새도 떨어뜨린다·take down even a flying bird For one's power to be so great that one can do anything as one likes.
#77·한 입으로 두말하기·say two words with one mouth An expression used to describe the manner of changing remarks on the same matter.
#78·가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다·One should first talk nicely, if one wants to be responded to in the same manner; What comes around, goes around One must speak or act nicely to others, if one wants the same from them.
#79·누워서 침 뱉기·spitting while lying facing up; Curses, like chickens, come home to roost A proverb meaning that the result of one's bad behavior comes back to oneself in a bad way.
#80·하늘이 무너져도 솟아날 구멍이 있다·You will have a hole to soar through even if the sky collapses An expression meaning there is always a way to get through hardships or difficulties no matter how severe they may be.
#81·집도 절도 없다·have no house or temple To wander from place to place without one's own house or fortune.
#82·개똥도 약에 쓴다·Even dog dung can be used for medicine For something very common and unimportant to be sometimes of great use.
#83·약에 쓰려도 없다·be unable to find anything to use for medicine For the least of something to not exist.
#84·친구 따라 강남 간다·follow one's friend to the south of the river To be guided by someone and do something unplanned or against one's will.
#85·말은 청산유수다·talk like clear water running through a green mountain To be eloquent.
#86·엎드려 절 받기·bend oneself down first and receive a bow To be treated well by someone by demanding that they do so.
#87·바람 앞의 등불·a lamp in front of wind An expression used to refer to a very dangerous and unstable situation.
#88·세 살 적 버릇[마음]이 여든까지 간다·A habit you acquire when you are three years old is hard to break even when you turn eighty An expression used to advise someone to guard against falling into a bad habit as a child because it is very difficult to correct it however hard one may try throughout their whole life.
#89·하룻강아지 범 무서운 줄 모른다·A new-born puppy is not afraid of a tiger; Fools rush in where angels fear to tread To rush into something in a reckless and immature manner.
#90·귀신 씻나락 까먹는 소리·the sound of a ghost peeling and eating rice seeds An unclear muttering sound that one says to oneself.
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#91·꼬리가 길면 밟힌다·One's tail is bound to be stepped on if it is long Something secret is bound to be revealed if it continues for a long time.
#92·돼지 목에 진주(목걸이)·a necklace for the neck of a pig An expression to describe something that does not suit one as one does not appreciate its value or it is out of one's character.
#93·소 닭 보듯·like a cow sees a chicken The manner in which one looks at something with indifference.
#94·둘이 먹다 하나(가) 죽어도 모르겠다·Neither one will know if one of the two dies while eating For food to be very delicious.
#95·순풍에 돛을 달다·hoist a sail in the fair wind; sail before the wind For something to progress as planned without any difficulty or trouble.
#96·손바닥으로 하늘 가리기·covering the sky with one's hands An expression used to describe a situation where something can hardly be concealed.
#97·고양이 앞에 쥐·a rat in front of a cat To freeze in front of someone that one is scared of.
#98·백지장도 맞들면 낫다·A sheet of blank paper is easier to carry when lifted up by two people Cooperation makes an easy task much easier.
#99·주먹이 운다[울다]·One's fists are crying To barely suppress one's rage, but feel like hitting or beating someone.
#100·미운 정 고운 정·affection from hatred, affection from love An intense feeling of good and bad mixed together towards someone after going through a lot with him/her.
#101·땅 짚고 헤엄치기·swimming while touching the ground An expression that refers to a very easy task.
#102·구렁이 담 넘어가듯·like a big snake climbing over a wall An expression used to describe the manner in which one furtively fudges a work and fails to finish it in a clear and complete manner.
#103·초록은 동색·Various types of green colors are all green; Like draws to like; Birds of a feather flock together; One devil knows another An expression meaning people in the same situation or league side with each other.
#104·모난 돌이 정 맞는다·An angular stone is bound to be hit by a chisel A person who stands out among many people will incur the hatred of others.
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#105·고양이 목에 방울 달기·tie a bell on the neck of a cat To have a useless discussion about an unfeasable and unrealistic plan.
#106·고래 싸움에 새우 등 터진다·The back of a shrimp bursts amid a fight between whales; suffer a side blow in a fight For an irrelevant and weak bystander to be hurt amid a fight between the strong.
#107·미운 아이[놈] 떡 하나 더 준다·give one more tteok, rice cake, to a hateful child[guy] It is advised to be particularly nice to someone whom one hates and keep on good terms with him/her.
#108·내 손에 장을 지지겠다·I will set fire to my fingers; I will eat my hat An expression used to guarantee one's own opinion or prediction will turn out to be right by swearing to do something cruel or extreme to oneself.
#109·내 얼굴에 침 뱉기·spitting saliva on my own face; cut off one's nose to spite one's face An expression used to describe a situation where one's scheme to harm someone boomerangs and harm oneself.
#110·공은 공이고, 사는 사다·Public affairs are public, private affairs are private One should draw a clear line between affairs related to the state, society, organizations or groups as opposed to personal and private ones.
#111·먹고 죽은 귀신이 때깔도 곱다[좋다]·A ghost who dies after eating has color and charm An expression used to stress the importance of eating.
#112·닭 쫓던 개 지붕[먼산] 쳐다보듯·like a dog that has been chasing a chicken watching a roof[distance mountain] The manner in which one is discouraged and disappointed at one's effort ending up in failure.
#113·원수는 외나무다리에서 만난다·encounter an enemy on a single log bridge; meet bad luck one cannot escape An expression used to describe a situation where one runs into someone whom one hates or shuns in a situation where interaction cannot be avoided.
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#114·달면 삼키고 쓰면 뱉는다·One swallows something if it is sweet, while spitting it if it is bitter To chase one's own interest without considering right or wrong, or keeping faith.
#115·윗물이 맑아야 아랫물이 맑다·The upstream water should be clean first in order to have clean water down the stream A senior with higher status should first behave well to set an example for his/her junior to follow.
#116·낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다·Words from the daytime are heard by a bird, words from the night are heard by a rat Words even made carefully and secretly are bound to be known by others.
#117·무자식 상팔자·Being childless is having good fortune; Little goods, little care An expression used to describe being childless and thus carefree.
#118·되로 주고 말로 받다·give one doe, a Korean unit of measure equivalent to 1.8 liters, of something and get ten times of it back To give others a small quantity of something and get a much larger quantity of it or something else.
#119·까마귀 날자 배 떨어진다·A pear drops as soon as a crow flies from the tree For two things to accidentally occur at the same time, making someone totally irrelevant to be suspected of being involved.
#120·약방에 감초·licorice in a drugstore; indispensabe person or thing A person who joins every event, or something that is indispensable.
#121·불난 집에 부채질한다·fan a house on fire; add fuel to the fire To aggravate other's misfortune or make an angry person become angrier.
#122·개똥도 약에 쓰려면 없다·Even dog dung cannot be found when needed for medicine For one to find it difficult to get something very common at a time when it is desperately needed.
#123·찔러도 피 한 방울 안 나겠다·Even a drop of blood will not be drawn if one is pricked To be cool-headed, hard-hearted and unsympathetic.
#124·찬물도 위아래가 있다·Even cold water should be first served to a senior You should do everything in due order.
#125·보기 좋은 떡이 먹기도 좋다·If tteok, rice cake, looks good, it will also taste good If the appearance of something is good, its content also tends to be good.
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#126·굿이나 보고 떡이나 먹다·be treated to tteok, rice cake, while just standing and watching a gut, an exorcism To gain benefit by quietly watching a situation without poking one's nose in it.
#127·달도 차면 기운다·The moon will wane when it waxes There is a time when everything goes well, but there is also a time when everything goes wrong.
#128·그 아버지에 그 아들·that son for that father An expression used to describe a son who resembles his father in a variety of aspects.
#129·가난이 죄다·Being poor is being guilty Poverty drives people to commit crimes or makes them suffer misfortunes.
#130·고양이한테 생선을 맡기다·entrust a cat with fish To ask someone unreliable to take care of a task or an object and then worry about it.
#131·열 번 찍어 안 넘어가는 나무 없다·no tree will stand firm if chopped at ten times; little strokes fell great oaks People can achieve anything if they keep making efforts.
#132·고인[고여 있는] 물이 썩는다·Stagnant water is bound to rot One is likely to fail to make progress and stagnate or be left behind compared to others without efforts to develop oneself.
#133·가재는 게 편·Crawfish are always on the crabs' side; Like draws to like People tend to side with others in a similar situation.
#134·하늘을 보아야 별을 따다·You have to look up at the sky in order to pick a star An expression meaning achieving a certain result requires effort, preparation, opportunities or adequate conditions provided
#135·제 코가 석 자·One's own nose is three feet long; have one's own fish to fry An expression used to describe a situation where one's own business is so urgent and difficult that one cannot afford to help others.
#136·발 없는 말이 천 리 간다·Words without feet go one hundred kilometers Once uttered, words tend to spread far and wide in an instant.
#137·검은 머리 파뿌리 되도록[될 때까지]·until black hair becomes the root of a spring onion; till death do them part For a very long time until one becomes old with all of one's hair turning white.
#138·도랑 치고 가재 잡는다·dredge a ditch and catch a crawfish; kill two birds with one stone To gain two kinds of interest while working on a single business.
#139·굼벵이도 구르는[기는] 재주가 있다·Even cicada larva have the ability to roll[crawl] Even a seeminly incompetent person has at least one thing he/she is good at.
#140·밥 안 먹어도 배부르다·be full even without eating rice To be very satisfied because something good happens.
#141·세월이 약·Time is medicine People tend to forget things over time however many tragic and tough situations they may have gone through.
#142·방귀 뀐 놈이 성낸다·The person who farts gets angry; You get angry at others for your own mistakes To get angry at others even if one did something wrong.
#143·구더기 무서워서 장 못 담글까·Maggots cannot be an excuse for not making soybean paste A figurative expression to explain that one must do what one has to do despite obstacles.
#144·나이는 못 속인다·One cannot hide one's age One's age is bound to be revealed from one's behavior or words however hard one tries to hide it.
#145·송충이는 솔잎을 먹어야 한다·A pine caterpillar should eat pine needles It is advised not to do something beyond one's capacity or reach.
#146·뛰는 놈 위에 나는 놈 있다·There are those who run, and there are those who fly above them; There is no limit to excellence; There may be blue and better blue One should guard against conceit because however excellent one may be, there is always someone else who is better.
#147·벼 이삭은 익을수록 고개를 숙인다·Rice plants tend to bow their heads as they grow ripe; The boughs that bear most hang lowest A person who has an excellent ability and high status tends to be more modest.
#148·지는 게 이기는 거다·Losing is equal to winning An expression meaning making a generous concession or avoiding a fight with your enemy will be more beneficial than confronting him/her.
#149·뒤로[뒤에서] 호박씨 깐다·shell the pumpkin seed in the back To pretend to be gentle and nice but do something bad when nobody is looking.
#150·말 한마디에 천 냥 빚도 갚는다·Even a word can pay off one thousand nyang, a unit of old Korean coinage, worth of debt Being a good speaker is important as it can even solve a difficult problem.
#151·도토리 키 재기·comparing the height of acorns For two who are more or less the same to make an argument to demonstrate one's superiority.
#152·공든 탑이 무너지랴·A tower would never collapse if it was built with efforts; A carefully and elaborately built tower would never collapse One will receive rewards if one makes every effort to do something.
#153·사람이 죽으란 법은 없다·There is no law that lets a man die People are bound to come up with a way to survive no matter how difficult their situation may be.
#154·날아가는 새도 떨어뜨린다·take down even a flying bird For one's power or influence to be very strong.
#155·선무당이 사람 잡는다[죽인다]·A novice shaman catches[kills] a person; A little knowledge is a dangrous thing It is advised to refrain from taking reckless action against something when you are incapable of solving the problem.
#156·사촌이 땅을 사면 배가 아프다·have a stomachache because a cousin bought an estate To feel unpleasant with someone's success and be jealous or envious of it.
#157·코에 걸면 코걸이 귀에 걸면 귀걸이·It is a nose ring if it is hung on the nose, and an earring if it is hung on the ear An expression to describe the attitude of making use of any grounds or excuses for one's own advantage.
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#158·자라 보고 놀란 가슴 솥뚜껑 보고 놀란다·Once startled by a softshell turtle, you will also be startled by a caldron lid A person who was startled by something shudders at the sight of something else which looks similar to it.
#159·지성이면 감천·Devotion will touch heaven; Sincerity moves heaven; Faith will move a mountain An expression meaning you will produce good results in anything if you do your utmost because one's deep devotion will touch the sky.
#160·언 발에 오줌 누기·discharge one's urine on one's frozen feet Something whose effects are short-lived and even aggravate the situation in the long-term.
#161·열 길 물속은 알아도 한 길 사람의 속은 모른다·You can estimate water thirty meters deep, but you cannot estimate the human mind thirty centimeters deep; You can sound water ten fathoms deep, but you cannot sound the human heart a single fathom It is very difficult to know what is really on a person's mind.
#162·개같이 벌어서 정승같이 쓴다·One makes money like a dog and spends it like a minister; Narrow gathered, widely spent To work hard and make every effort to make money, and then spend it gracefully and worthily.
#163·품 안의 자식·a child in one's bosom Children tend to obey their parents when they are young, but do as they wish when they grow up.
#164·돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라·You have to knock on a bridge before crossing it even if it is made of stone An expression used to advise that one should double check and take caution even if one knows something well or it looks certain.
#165·자다가 봉창 두드린다·pound on a paper window while sleeping To suddenly say or do something taken out of context.
#166·수박 겉 핥기·lick the outside of a watermelon To do something superficially without fully understanding it.
#167·암탉이 운다·A hen crows For a woman instead of a man to take control of the family.
#168·중이 제 머리(를) 못 깎는다·A Buddhist monk cannot shave his own hair; You cannot scratch your own back It may be difficult to take care of something related to oneself, so one may need help from others to get it done.
#169·뜻이 있는 곳에 길이 있다·Where there is a will, there is a way If there is a will to do something, a way will be found to do it.
#170·제 살 깎아 먹기·peel and eat one's own flesh; Cut off one's nose to spite one's face; Curses, like chickens, come home to roost An expression meaning what one has done boomerangs and does harm to oneself.
#171·개밥에 도토리·acorn in a bowl of dog food A person who is ostracized and finds it difficult to fit in a group of people.
#172·바늘 가는 데 실 간다·A thread goes wherever a needle goes To be very close to each other and always go about together.
#173·개가 웃을 일이다·It is something even a dog would laugh at For something to be very absurd and nonsensical.
#174·지렁이도 밟으면 꿈틀한다·Tread on an earthworm and it will squirm; Tread on a worm and it will turn; Even a fly has its anger Even a person of low status or a meek, docile person will resist if he/she is severely mistreated and despised.
#175·쇠귀에 경 읽기·chanting a sutra to the ears of a cow; preaching to deaf ears; To sing psalms to a dead horse An expression used to describe a situation where one tries very hard to make someone understand or realize something to no avail.
#176·형만 한 아우 없다·No younger brother matches his older brother An expression meaning no younger brother is as good as his older brother at anything.
#177·눈에 콩깍지가 씌었다·One's eyes are covered with a pea pod To be unable to make an accurate judgement or think straight.
#178·남의 떡이 더 커 보인다·Another person's tteok, rice cake, looks bigger than mine To feel that something owned by someone is much better than mine.
#179·서당 개 삼 년에 풍월을 읊는다·A dog recites a poem if it spends three years at a seodang, a village school; The sparrow near a school sings the primer Exposure to a certain field for a long time will help even a layperson gain knowledge and experience of it.
#180·콩 심은 데 콩 나고 팥 심은 데 팥 난다·Beans grow where beans were sowed, red beans grow where red beans were sowed; As one sows, so shall he reap; An onion will not produce a rose Everything produces a result that corresponds to its cause.
#181·바늘 도둑이 소도둑 된다·A thief who steals a needle becomes a thief who steals an ox; He that will steal a pin will steal an ox One is likely to commit a serious crime if one repeats a minor misdeed.
#182·타고난 팔자·a destiny that one is born with; an accident of birth A good or bad destiny that one is born with and therefore has an impact on one's whole life.
#183·하늘은 스스로 돕는 자를 돕는다·Heaven helps those who help themselves An expression meaning Heaven will help those who make efforts to succeed, and therefore it is important to make efforts to achieve something.
#184·천 리 길도 한 걸음부터·Even a one thousand kilometer journey begins with the first step An expression used to stress the importance of the beginning of something because achieving great work starts with doing small things.
#185·같은 값이면 다홍치마·A scarlet skirt is better than other colored ones with the same price tag; better a castle of bones than of stones To choose a better quality and better looking product if the price and conditions are the same.
#186·떡 본 김에 제사 지낸다·perform an ancestral rite as tteok, rice cake, is in sight To have a good chance by accident to do something that one has planned to do.
#187·귀에 걸면 귀걸이 코에 걸면 코걸이·It is an earring if it is hung on the ear, and a nose ring if it is hung on the nose; Different people call it different things For something or an object to become this or that depending on how it is explained or described.
#188·제 꾀에 (제가) 넘어간다·have something undone by one's own trick; The biter is bitten; Many go for wool and come home shorn To be cheated by one's own trick that was devised to cheat someone.
#189·엎어지면 코 닿을 데·a place that your nose can touch if you fall down A very short distance.
#190·낫 놓고 기역 자도 모른다·not know the letter 'ㄱ' in front of a sickle To be very ignorant to such an extent that one does not know the letter 'ㄱ' even when a sickle shaped 'ㄱ' is in front of one's eyes.
#191·굴러온 돌이 박힌 돌 뺀다·A stone which has just rolled in removes the embedded one For one who just joined a group to try to expel or harm an existing member of the group.
#192·십 년이면 강산도 변한다·Ten years' time will change rivers and mountains Everything is bound to change as time goes by.
#193·핑계 없는 무덤이 없다·There is no tomb without excuses Even a person who makes big mistakes has his/her own excuses or reasons.
#194·벼룩의 간을 내먹는다·take out and eat the liver of a flea To take advantage of someone in a very difficult situation.
#195·상갓집 개 [노릇]·a dog at a house in mourning (figurative) A pitiful state in which one begs for food in an abject manner while being treated with contempt, like an ownerless dog at a house in mourning.
#196·벙어리 냉가슴 앓듯·as if a mute suffers from his/her chilly heart An expression used to refer to a situation where one gets anxious and frustrated as one cannot speak one's mind or explain one's circumstances.
#197·오는 말이 고와야 가는 말이 곱다·One talks nicely to others so that in turn they will do the same to them; What goes around, comes around A person tends to speak or act nicely to others, if they do the same to him/her.
#198·똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다·A dog with dung rebukes a dog with husks of grain For one with greater faults or defects to speak ill of someone with smaller faults.
#199·오르지 못할 나무는 쳐다보지도 마라·Do not even look up a tree that you cannot climb It is advised not to desire something beyond one's reach.
#200·뛰어야 벼룩·be a flea however far one goes To be unable to escape to a far away place irrespective of whatever one does or however hard one tries to run away.