The words of South Korea

South Korea — quotes, proverbs & wisdom

Real words from the people of South Korea, each with a verified source. New quotes are added as each is fact-checked.

“After hardship comes joy.”

고생 끝에 낙이 온다

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition

“Words that go out kindly are words that come back kindly.”

가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition

“Gather specks of dust and you make a great mountain.”

티끌 모아 태산

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition

“Even monkeys fall from trees.”

원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition

“Birds listen to daytime words and mice listen to nighttime words.”

낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition

“A frog in a well.”

우물 안 개구리

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), rooted in the classical phrase 井中之蛙, public-domain oral tradition

“Hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once.”

백문이 불여일견

Source: Korean proverb (속담) from the classical Chinese 百聞不如一見, public-domain

“It is dark right under the lamp.”

등잔 밑이 어둡다

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition

“Fixing the barn after losing the cow.”

소 잃고 외양간 고친다

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition

“A dragon rises from a small stream.”

개천에서 용 난다

Source: Traditional Korean proverb (속담), public-domain oral tradition