IdiomFood & Drink
Korean
Korean우물에 가 숭늉 찾는다 (Umure ga sungnyung channeunda)
Meaning: To demand results with absurd impatience.
Literally: Going to the well to look for scorched-rice water
Example: “어제 시작한 다이어트로 오늘 5킬로 빠지길 바라는 건 우물에 가 숭늉 찾는 격이다.” — Expecting to lose five kilos today on a diet you started yesterday? Rome wasn't built in a day.
English equivalent: Rome wasn't built in a day
Origin: Sungnyung is a drink made by boiling water in the pot with the scorched rice stuck to the bottom. Asking for it at the well, where there is only water, is demanding a result before doing any of the work. It is a traditional saying for absurd impatience.
More Korean idioms
- 누워서 떡 먹기 (nuwoseo tteok meokgi) An extremely easy task.
- 호박이 넝쿨째 굴러 들어왔다 (Hobagi neongkuljjae gulleo deureowatda) Unexpected great fortune fell into your lap.
- 발 벗고 나서다 (bal beotgo naseoda) To throw yourself into helping wholeheartedly.
- 똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다 (Ttong mudeun gaega gyeo mudeun gae namuranda) Someone with a bigger fault criticizes another person's smaller one.
- 눈에 콩깍지가 씌다 (nun-e kongkkakjiga sseuida) To be blinded by love.
- 식은 죽 먹기 (Sigeun juk meokgi) A piece of cake; very easy to do.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- 낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다 (Nanmareun saega deutgo bammareun jwiga deunneunda) Be careful what you say; someone is always listening.
- 자라 보고 놀란 가슴 솥뚜껑 보고 놀란다 (Jara bogo nollan gaseum sotttukkeong bogo nollanda) Once badly frightened, you get scared of anything that looks similar.
- 뚝배기보다 장맛이 좋다 (Ttukbaegiboda jangmasi jota) What's inside matters more than the outside.
Keep exploring