← Back
Idiomatic Expressions
Common Korean idioms for natural speech.
시작이 반이다
Starting is half the task
sijagi banida
Beginning is half done
티끌 모아 태산
Many small things make a mountain
tikkeul moa taesan
Lit: dust gathered makes a great mountain
우물 안 개구리
A frog in a well — a narrow view
umul an gaeguri
발 없는 말이 천 리 간다
Words travel a thousand miles — rumors spread fast
bal eomneun mari cheon ri ganda
등잔 밑이 어둡다
It is dark beneath the lamp
deungjan michi eodupda
Hard to see what is closest
호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다
Speak of the tiger and it appears
horangido je mal hamyeon onda
Speak of the devil
고생 끝에 낙이 온다
After hardship comes joy
gosaeng kkeute nagi onda
No pain no gain
천 리 길도 한 걸음부터
A thousand-mile journey begins with one step
cheon ri gildo han georeumbuteo
가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다
Kind words bring kind words back
ganeun mari gowaya oneun mari gopda
백지장도 맞들면 낫다
Many hands make light work
baekjijangdo matdeulmyeon natda
말 한마디에 천 냥 빚 갚는다
A kind word can repay a great debt
mal hanmadie cheon nyang bit gapneunda
소 잃고 외양간 고친다
Fixing the barn after losing the cow
so ilko oeyanggan gochinda
Too little too late
