South Korea Proverbs (10)

Traditional proverbs of South Korea in Khmer and English — each with its meaning and source.

고생 끝에 낙이 온다

“After hardship comes joy.”

Enduring difficulty patiently will eventually be rewarded with good fortune.

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

가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다

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

If you speak politely to others, they will speak politely to you in return.

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

티끌 모아 태산

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

Small amounts, saved or accumulated consistently, add up to something great.

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

원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다

“Even monkeys fall from trees.”

Even an expert can make mistakes, so no one should be overconfident.

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

낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다

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

There are no true secrets, so be careful what you say because someone may always overhear.

kr-tradition

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

우물 안 개구리

“A frog in a well.”

Someone with a narrow, limited view of the world who is unaware of the wider reality.

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

백문이 불여일견

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

Direct personal experience is far more valuable than repeated secondhand descriptions.

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

등잔 밑이 어둡다

“It is dark right under the lamp.”

People often fail to notice what is closest to them.

kr-tradition

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

소 잃고 외양간 고친다

“Fixing the barn after losing the cow.”

Taking precautions only after damage has already been done is too late.

kr-tradition

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

개천에서 용 난다

“A dragon rises from a small stream.”

A great and successful person can emerge from humble or poor origins.

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