Idioms and Proverbs

Korean Grammar 4

Course 4 · Chapter 7 · Idioms, Proverbs and Four-Character Phrases

🏮 Idioms, Proverbs and Four-Character Phrases — 관용구, 속담, 사자성어

Korean speakers use three kinds of ready-made expression all the time. 관용구 are idioms: short fixed phrases whose meaning is not the sum of the words. 속담 are proverbs: whole sentences of folk wisdom. 사자성어 are four-character phrases built from Sino-Korean roots (Korean Grammar 4 5), usually with a story or lesson behind them. They are fixed, so you learn them as units, but each follows ordinary grammar around it.

The rule in one box An idiom has a figurative meaning and a fixed form: do not translate it word by word and do not swap its words. The verb ending still changes with tense and speech level (발이 넓다 → 발이 넓어요), and before a noun it takes the modifier form (발이 넓은 사람). Proverbs are usually quoted: "…"라는 속담이 있다.

Body-part idioms — 관용구

Idiom	Literal	Meaning
손이 크다	the hand is big	generous; gives or cooks in big amounts
발이 넓다	the feet are wide	well connected; knows many people
입이 무겁다	the mouth is heavy	tight-lipped; keeps secrets
입이 가볍다	the mouth is light	talks too freely; can't keep a secret
눈이 높다	the eyes are high	has high standards; picky
귀가 얇다	the ears are thin	easily swayed by what others say
간이 크다	the liver is big	bold, daring
눈코 뜰 새 없다	no time to open eyes and nose	extremely busy
한눈을 팔다	sell one eye	let your attention wander
배가 아프다	the stomach hurts	(figurative) jealous of another's success

Proverbs — 속담

Proverb	Literal	Sense
가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다	the going words must be lovely for the coming words to be lovely	speak kindly and you will be answered kindly
낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다	birds hear day talk, mice hear night talk	walls have ears
호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다	even a tiger comes if you talk about it	speak of the devil
백지장도 맞들면 낫다	even a sheet of paper is better lifted together	many hands make light work
티끌 모아 태산	gather dust and it becomes a mountain	little by little adds up
원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다	even monkeys fall from trees	anyone can make a mistake
소 잃고 외양간 고친다	fix the barn after losing the cow	locking the stable door after the horse has bolted
세 살 버릇 여든까지 간다	habits at three last until eighty	old habits die hard
우물 안 개구리	a frog in a well	someone with a narrow view
시작이 반이다	the start is half	well begun is half done

Four-character phrases — 사자성어

Phrase	Meaning	Example use
일석이조	two gains from one action (two birds, one stone)	운동도 되고 돈도 아끼니 일석이조예요.
작심삼일	a resolution that lasts three days	다이어트가 작심삼일로 끝났다.
고진감래	after hardship comes joy	고진감래라더니 드디어 합격했다.
전화위복	turning misfortune into fortune	실패가 전화위복이 되었다.
설상가상	making a bad situation worse	설상가상으로 비까지 왔다.
이심전심	understanding without words	우리는 이심전심으로 통했다.
동문서답	answering a different question	그는 동문서답만 했다.
유비무환	being prepared means no trouble	유비무환이라고 미리 준비하자.
자업자득	reaping what you sowed	늦잠을 잤으니 자업자득이다.
십시일반	many give a little to help one	십시일반으로 돈을 모았다.

Fitting them into a sentence

Kind	Common frame	Example
Idiom	conjugate normally	그 사람은 발이 넓어요.
Idiom before a noun	modifier form	입이 무거운 친구
Proverb	"…"라는 속담이 있다 / "…"고 하니까	"시작이 반이다"라는 말이 있다.
사자성어	noun + 이다 / 으로 / 라는 말	작심삼일로 끝났다.

Watch out: idioms are not literal and not flexible 눈이 높다 has nothing to do with eye position, and 손이 크다 is not about hand size. Do not change the words either: 손이 큰 is fine as a modifier, but swapping in 팔이 크다 means nothing. Context also matters: 배가 아프다 can be a real stomach ache or the idiom for jealousy.

🗣️ In Use — 실제 예문

Three short examples.

① A well-connected friend

민수는 발이 넓어서 모르는 사람이 없어요. Minsu knows so many people that there is nobody he doesn't know.

② A resolution

운동 계획이 작심삼일로 끝났어요. My exercise plan lasted only three days.

시작이 반이라고 하니까 다시 해 보세요. They say the start is half the job, so try again.

③ A generous grandmother

할머니는 손이 커서 항상 음식을 많이 만드세요. Grandmother is generous with portions, so she always makes lots of food.

📋 Quick Reference — 요약표

Type	Example	Meaning
관용구	발이 넓다	well connected
관용구	입이 무겁다	keeps secrets
속담	티끌 모아 태산	little by little adds up
속담	시작이 반이다	well begun is half done
사자성어	일석이조	two gains at once
사자성어	작심삼일	resolve lasting three days

✏️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Work out the answer first, then click to check.

1. What does 입이 무겁다 mean, and what is its opposite?

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Tight-lipped, keeps secrets. The opposite is 입이 가볍다.

2. Say "She is well connected" in polite speech.

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그 사람은 발이 넓어요.

3. Put 귀가 얇다 before the noun 사람.

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귀가 얇은 사람, someone easily swayed.

4. Which proverb means "many hands make light work"?

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백지장도 맞들면 낫다.

5. A friend keeps meaning to start studying but never does. Which proverb encourages them?

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시작이 반이다: starting is already half the job.

6. Which four-character phrase fits "Bad luck, and then it rained too"?

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설상가상: 설상가상으로 비까지 왔다.

7. Complete: 다이어트가 ___으로 끝났다 ("My diet lasted only three days").

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작심삼일.

8. Quote the proverb 티끌 모아 태산 in a sentence with "라는 속담".

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"티끌 모아 태산"이라는 속담이 있다.

9. Why is 배가 아프다 ambiguous?

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It can mean a real stomach ache or the idiom for being jealous of someone's success. Context decides.

Coming up in Chapter 8: Spoken Korean: Contractions, Slang and Dialects. You will learn the spoken shortenings (뭐를 → 뭘, 그것이 → 그게), 반말 in dramas, common slang, and a first look at 경상도, 전라도 and 제주 speech.