500 Common Korean Idioms

Danielle O. Pyun

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781138698284
• eBook ISBN: 9781315519470
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Languages
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

500 Common Korean Idioms is a useful learner's tool that presents the 500 most commonly used Korean idioms in a clear and easy-to-follow manner.

Structured with practicality in mind, the book presents:

• idioms with their literal and natural translations;
• usage notes describing the meaning, typical use, and any related cultural topic;
• several example sentences providing context and showing appropriate use of each idiom;
• important vocabulary and expressions highlighted in each chapter for review;
• an MP3 file for each idiom (online).

Suitable for intermediate to advanced learners of Korean, 500 Common Korean Idioms provides a step-by-step approach to gaining greater fluency through a grasp of the most common idioms in the language.

500 common Korean idioms

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1. 가난이 죄

Poverty is the cause of trouble; poverty is the mother of crime.

[lit.] Poverty is sin.

<Proverb> This proverb refers to a situation in which poverty leads a person to crime or trouble or in which someone is unable to attain what he or she desires due to poverty. 가난이 원수 (‘Poverty is the enemy’) may also be used.

• 1. 돈이 없어 병을 고칠 수 없어요. 가난이 죄네요.
  I can’t treat the illness because I don’t have money. Poverty is the cause of trouble.
• 2. 거액을 탈세한 재벌총수보다 배고픈 자식을 위해 빵 몇 개 훔친 아버지가 감옥에서 더 오래산다고 합니다. 가난이 죄인가요?
  They say that a father who stole a few pieces of bread for his hungry children will serve a longer term in prison than the head of a large corporation who evaded a huge sum of taxes. Is poverty the cause of trouble?

• 가난: poverty
• 죄: sin
• 병을 고치다: to cure illness
• 거액: a large amount of money
• 탈세하다: to evade tax
• 재벌총수: head of a conglomerate
• 배고프다: be hungry
• 감옥: prison

2. 가는 날이 장날

an unexpected coincidence; bad timing

[lit.] The day when (I) go is the market day.

This phrase refers to encountering something unexpectedly. In the early days in Korea, the town market opened every five days. When people visited town for business and it happened to be the market day, they were fortunate enough to be able to not only take care of their business but also visit the market. However, this phrase is often used negatively. Imagine that you make a long trip to visit a museum, only to find out that the museum is under temporary lockdown due to an unexpected incident. You might say 가는 날이 장날이었어요 (‘The day I went was the market day’).

• 1. 오늘 제주도로 휴가 떠나는데요. 가는 날이 장날이라더니 어제까지 괜찮던 날씨가 오늘 비가 내리네요.
  I am going on vacation to Jeju Island today. But while it was sunny all week, it is rainy today. It’s an unfortunate coincidence.
• 2. 오늘 친구랑 백화점에 갔는데 문을 닫았더라구요. 매월 첫째 주 월요일이 쉬는 날이더라구요. 가는 날이 장날이었네요.
  I went to the mall today with my friend, but it was closed. Apparently they are closed every first Monday of the month. It was just bad timing.

• 제주도: Jeju Island
• 휴가: vacation
• 떠나다: to leave
• 휴가를 떠나다: to go on a vacation
• 장날: market day
• 매월: every month
• 첫째 주: the first week
• 쉬는 날: an off day

3. 가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다

What goes around comes around.

[lit.] When the outgoing words are beautiful, the incoming words are beautiful.

<Proverb> This proverb means that if you say nice words you will get nice words in return.

• 1. 가: 왜 그렇게 화를 내?
  Why are you losing your temper?
  나: 니가 먼저 소리 질렀잖아. 가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱지.
  You raised your voice first. You should speak nicely if you expect me to speak nicely in return.
• 2. 그 사람이 먼저 저한테 욕을 하길래 저도 욕을 했어요. 가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 고운 법이잖아요.
  That man swore at me first, so I swore back at him. What goes around comes around, you know.

• 화를 내다: to get angry
• 먼저: first, ahead
• 소리(를) 지르다: to yell
• 곱다: be beautiful
• ~아/어야: only if ~, only when ~
• 욕(을) 하다: to swear
• ~길래: because ~
• ~ㄴ 법이다: It is nature’s law that ~, It is usually the case that ~

4. 가닥을 잡다

to set one’s course/direction

[lit.] to grab a strand

This expression means that a person comes to understand the situation based on logic or reason and sets his or her course or direction accordingly. Its passive form is 가닥이 잡히다 (‘One’s course/direction is set’).

• 1. 경찰은 피해자의 사망이 자살이 아닌 살인사건으로 가닥을 잡았습니다.
  The police set the direction of their investigation of the victim’s death toward murder and not suicide.
• 2. 정부는 신공항 건설을 백지화하는 쪽으로 가닥을 잡았습니다.
  The government decided to abandon the construction of a new airport.

• 경찰: the police
• 피해자: victim
• 사망: death
• 자살: suicide
• 살인사건: a murder case
• 가닥: a strand
• 잡다: to grab, catch
• 건설: construction
• 백지화하다: to nullify

5. 가만히 있으면 중간이나 가지

You should’ve kept silent; you should’ve done nothing.

[lit.] If you stay still/silent, you can go as far as the middle.

<Informal> Imagine your teacher or your boss asks you a question. If you give a very ignorant answer, you may end up wishing you had given no answer at all. In this idiom, 중간 (‘the middle’) refers to an average person. 가만히 있으면 중간은 간다 is equivalent to the Danish proverb ‘Fools are like other folks as long as they are silent.’ Use this idiom only with close friends and someone of equal or lower status.

• 1. 가: 야, 내가 영어 통역 자원해서 나섰다가 너무 못해서 정말 쪽팔렸어.
  I volunteered as a Korean-English interpreter, but I didn’t do very well. I was so embarrassed.
  나: 그러게 왜 쓸데없이 나서? 가만히 있으면중간이나가지.
  ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• List of entries
• 500 common Korean idioms
• Appendix: idioms by theme