By James | September 2, 2009
급히 먹는 밥이 목에 멘다.
or
빨리 먹으면 체한다.
geup-hi meog-neun bap i mok-e men-da.
급히: hastily
먹는: eaten (as adjective)
밥: rice
목: throat
메다: to choked; stopped up.
In other words, the hastily eaten rice chokes the throat. Or the English proverb that’s usually chosen as an equivalent is: ‘Haste makes waste.’
By James | August 29, 2009
거지도 부지런하면 더운 밥을 얻어 먹는다.
geojido bujireon hamyeon deoun babeul eodeo meogneunda
거지 = beggar
부지런하다 = to be diligent or hard-working
덥다 / 더운 = to be hot (descriptive verb) / hot (adj. form)
밥 = rice (but also is used as meal)
얻다 = to get; to obtain; to win; to receive
먹다 = to eat
But apparently the combination [...]
By James | August 28, 2009
개밥에도토리
kaebap e dotori.
The truth is that I don’t really understand this expression. I’m going to try and get an explanation for it when we start Korean class again on Monday. According to the Naver dictionary, and a few other online sources, it means, ‘an outcast,’ or ‘an ostracized person.’ The literal translation is what I’m [...]
By James | August 27, 2009
밥 먹여 주나?
bap meogyeo juna?
Will the rice fill me up? Or maybe, it won’t fill me up. Apparently, Koreans say this when they are opposing or questioning something that will not benefit them.
By James | August 26, 2009
I’m going to see how many rice proverbs I can find, so here’s another:
배고픈 놈이 이밥 조밥 가리랴.
bae go peun nom i ibap jobap karirya.
Something like: ‘It surely won’t do for a hungry fellow to be picky about this rice or that rice.”
In other words, ‘beggars can’t be choosers,” or, “any port in a storm.”
By James | August 25, 2009
Continuing on with the rice proverbs:
솥은 검어도 밥은 검지 않다.
sot eun keomeo do bap eun keomji anda.
The translation is something like: “Even though the pot is black, the rice is not black.” The meaning is similar to, “A black hen lays a white egg.” Truthfully I’ve never heard this saying before. I guess the meaning [...]
