Verbs of taking off

12 Proverbs and idioms Languages are made more lively and interesting by proverbs and idioms. Learning to use these sorts of items is especially important in Korean because they are very popular and very frequently employed.

12.1 Proverbs

Proverbs offer nuggets of advice that reflect a culture’s practices and wisdom – whether it’s ‘The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence,’ or the Korean equivalent ⋾㦮 ⟷㧊 䄺 ⽊㧎┺ ‘The other person’s rice cake looks bigger.’ The following expressions are among the most commonly used. They are presented in Korean alphabetical order Ṗ⋮┺⧒㑲, followed by their English equivalent and, when appropriate, by their literal meaning in brackets. Helpful tips on how to use the proverbs can be found in 12.1.4. 12.1.1 Proverbs with identical English equivalents ῂ⯊⓪ ☢㠦⓪ 㧊⋒Ṗ ⋒㰖 㞠⓪┺. A rolling stone gathers no moss. ⑞㠦⓪ ⑞ 㧊㠦⓪ 㧊. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. ⓼㠞┺ἶ ㌳ṗ䞶 ➢Ṗ Ṗ㧻 ザ⯊┺. It’s never too late to mend one’s ways. ⦑㧊 㧞⓪ Ὁ㠦 ₎㧊 㧞┺. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. ⪲Ⱎ⓪ 䞮⬾ 㞚䂾㠦 㧊⬾㠊㰖㰖 Rome was not built in a day. 㞠㞮┺. ⳾⯊⓪ Ợ 㟓㧊┺. Ignorance is bliss. ⶊ㏢㔳㧊 䧂㏢㔳㧊┺. No news is good news. ク㌆㦮 㧒ṗ the tip of the iceberg ㈢Ⰶ ╖⪲ Ệ⚪┺. You reap what you sow. 㔲㧧㧊 ⹮㧊┺. Beginning is half done. 㔲㧻㧊 ⹮㺂㧊┺. Hunger is the best sauce. 㞚⓪ Ợ 䧮㧊┺. Knowledge is power. 㡺⓮ 䞶 㧒㦚 ⌊㧒⪲ ⹎⬾㰖 Ⱖ⧒. Don’t put off until tomorrow things that should be done today. 㻲Ⰲ₎☚ 䞲Ỏ㦢⿖䎆. A long journey starts with a single step. 䞮⓮㦖 㓺㓺⪲ ☫⓪ 㧦⯒ ☫⓪┺. God helps those who help themselves. 12.1.2 Proverbs with approximate English equivalents Ṟ㑮⪳ 䌲㌆㧊┺. After a mountain is another mountain. ἶ㌳ ⊳㠦 ⋯㧊 㡾┺. = ἶ㰚Ṧ⧮ Hard work pays off; No pain, no gain. ῂὖ㧊 ⳛὖ㧊┺. The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. ⁎ 㞚⻚㰖㠦 ⁎ 㞚✺. = ⿖㩚㧦㩚 Like father, like son. ⌄Ⱖ㦖 ㌞Ṗ ✹ἶ ⹺Ⱖ㦖 㮦Ṗ Walls have ears. [Birds hear your day-talk; ✹⓪┺ . mice hear your night-talk.] ⑞ Ṧ㦒Ⳋ 䆪 ⻶㠊ⲏ㦚 ㎎㌗ a dog-eat-dog world ♮⪲ 㭒ἶ Ⱖ⪲ ⹱⓪┺. Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. ⚦ ㏦㧊 Ⱎ㭒㼦㟒 ㏢ⰂṖ ⋲┺. It takes two to tango. [It takes two hands to clap.] Ⱖ㧊 㝾Ṗ ♲┺. Self-fulfilling prophesy. ⹪⓮ ☚⚧㧊 ㏢ ☚⚧♲┺. He that will steal an egg will steal an ox. ⹲ 㠜⓪ Ⱖ㧊 㻲Ⰲ Ṛ┺. Rumors spread like wildfire. [Words without feet travel a thousand miles.] ⿞⋲ 㰧㠦 ⿖㺚㰞. Fanning the flames. ゞ㑮⩞Ṗ 㣪⧖䞮┺. An empty barrel makes a lot of noise. ㌂Ὃ㧊 Ⱔ㦒Ⳋ ⺆Ṗ ㌆㦒⪲ Ṛ┺. Too many cooks spoil the broth. [Too many boatmen take the boat to a mountain.] ㎎㌊ ⻚⯝ 㡂✶₢㰖 Ṛ┺. Old habits die hard. ㏢ 㧙ἶ 㣎㟧Ṛ ἶ䂲┺. It’s too late to shut the barn door after the horse is gone. [One repairs the barn after the cow is gone.] 㐶 ‖㠦 ἓ 㧓₆ Preaching to the deaf. 㐶㈪☚ ┾ₖ㠦 ヒ㟒 䞲┺. Strike while the iron is hot. 㞚┞ ➦ Ὴ⣳㠦 㡆₆⋶₢. There’s no smoke without fire. 㡊⻞ 㹣㠊 㞞 ⍮㠊 Ṗ⓪ ⋮ⶊ 㠜┺. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. [Chop ten times, any tree will fall.] 㤆⓪ 㞚㧊 㩬 㭖┺. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. [A crying baby gets milk.]