Funny sayings

Question 1

Give me the Korean for ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.’

Answer 1

인생은 다른 계획 세우느라 바쁠 때 일어나는 거야.
Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans (literal).

Example sentence:
우리가 계획을 세우느라 바쁜 사이에 인생은 계속 진행돼.
Life keeps going while we’re busy making plans.

Question 2

Give me the Korean for ‘The road to success is always under construction.’

Answer 2

성공으로 가는 길은 항상 공사 중이야.
The road to success is always under construction (literal).

Example sentence:
성공의 길은 쉽게 완성되지 않아. 항상 공사 중이지.
The road to success is never finished. It’s always under construction.

Question 3

Give me the Korean for ‘Why take life so seriously? It’s not like anyone gets out alive.’

Answer 3

왜 인생을 그렇게 진지하게 살아? 결국 아무도 살아서 나가지 못하는데.
Why take life so seriously? No one gets out alive anyway (literal).

Example sentence:
결국 아무도 살아서 나갈 수 없는데, 왜 이렇게 진지하게 살아?
Why live so seriously when no one makes it out alive?

Question 4

Give me the Korean for ‘Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.’

Answer 4

인생은 짧아. 아직 이빨 있을 때 웃어.
Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth (literal).

Example sentence:
인생 짧으니까 이빨 있을 때 최대한 웃어!
Life is short, so smile while you’ve got teeth!

Question 5

Give me the Korean for ‘A day without laughter is a day wasted.’

Answer 5

웃음 없는 하루는 낭비한 하루야.
A day without laughter is a day wasted (literal).

Example sentence:
오늘 하루 웃지 않았다면 낭비한 거나 마찬가지지.
If you didn’t laugh today, it was a wasted day.

Question 6

Give me the Korean for ‘Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.’

Answer 6

원하는 걸 얻지 못할 때 얻는 게 경험이야.
Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted (literal).

Example sentence:
내가 원하는 걸 못 얻었지만, 그 대신 경험을 얻었지.
I didn’t get what I wanted, but I got experience instead.

Question 7

Give me the Korean for ‘I have nothing to lose but my dignity… and I’m not sure about that.’

Answer 7

잃을 건 자존심뿐인데… 그것도 애매하네.
I have nothing to lose but my dignity… and I’m not sure about that (literal).

Example sentence:
내 자존심밖에 잃을 게 없는데, 그것도 이미 반쯤 날린 것 같아.
I’ve got nothing left to lose but my dignity… and that’s already half-gone.

Question 8

Give me the Korean for ‘You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?’

Answer 8

모든 걸 가질 순 없어. 다 어디다 두겠어?
You can’t have everything. Where would you put it? (literal).

Example sentence:
모든 걸 가질 수는 없지. 다 어디다 두겠냐고.
You can’t have everything. Where would you put it all?

Question 9

Give me the Korean for ‘A clear conscience is usually a sign of a bad memory.’

Answer 9

양심이 깨끗한 건 보통 나쁜 기억력 때문이야.
A clear conscience is usually a sign of a bad memory (literal).

Example sentence:
너 양심 깨끗하다고? 그거 그냥 기억이 안 나는 거겠지.
You have a clear conscience? Maybe you just don’t remember!

Question 10

Give me the Korean for ‘Age is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying you.’

Answer 10

나이는 세상이 널 즐긴 햇수에 불과해.
Age is just the number of years the world’s been enjoying you (literal).

Example sentence:
네 나이는 세상이 널 즐긴 시간일 뿐이야. 더 멋져지기만 해.
Your age is just how long the world’s been enjoying you. You only get better!

Question 11

Give me the Korean for ‘Wisdom comes from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions.’

Answer 11

지혜는 경험에서 오고, 경험은 나쁜 결정에서 오지.
Wisdom comes from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions (literal).

Example sentence:
내가 많은 경험을 했다는 건, 그만큼 나쁜 결정을 많이 내렸다는 뜻이지.
If I have a lot of experience, it means I’ve made a lot of bad decisions.

Question 12

Give me the Korean for ‘The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.’

Answer 12

일찍 일어나는 새가 벌레를 잡지만, 두 번째 쥐가 치즈를 얻지.
The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese (literal).

Example sentence:
일찍 일어나는 게 꼭 좋은 건 아니야. 두 번째 쥐가 치즈를 얻는 거잖아.
Being early isn’t always best. The second mouse gets the cheese!

Question 13

Give me the Korean for ‘Life’s too short to take it too seriously.’

Answer 13

인생은 너무 짧아서 진지하게 살기엔 아까워.
Life’s too short to take it too seriously (literal).

Example sentence:
인생은 즐길 시간도 부족한데, 진지하게 살긴 아깝지 않아?
Life’s too short to waste it on being serious.

Question 14

Give me the Korean for ‘The best things in life are actually really expensive.’

Answer 14

인생에서 가장 좋은 것들은 진짜 비싸.
The best things in life are actually really expensive (literal).

Example sentence:
공짜라고들 하지만, 정말 좋은 것들은 다 비싸더라.
They say the best things in life are free, but the really good stuff is pricey.

Question 15

Give me the Korean for ‘Money can’t buy happiness, but it’s better to cry in a Ferrari.’

Answer 15

돈으로 행복을 살 수는 없지만, 페라리에서 우는 게 낫지.
Money can’t buy happiness, but it’s better to cry in a Ferrari (literal).

Example sentence:
돈이 행복을 주진 않지만, 페라리에서 우는 게 좀 더 낫지 않을까?
Money can’t buy happiness, but wouldn’t it be better to cry in a Ferrari?

Question 16

Give me the Korean for ‘Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.’

Answer 16

게으름은 피곤해지기 전에 쉬는 습관일 뿐이야.
Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired (literal).

Example sentence:
내 게으름은 그냥 피곤해지기 전에 미리 쉬는 거야. 나름 전략적이지.
My laziness is just resting before I get tired. It’s strategic!

Question 17

Give me the Korean for ‘I always learn from the mistakes of others who took my advice.’

Answer 17

나는 항상 내 조언을 따른 사람들의 실수에서 배워.
I always learn from the mistakes of others who took my advice (literal).

Example sentence:
내가 준 조언대로 한 사람들이 실수하는 걸 보면, 그게 진짜 교훈이야.
Watching people make mistakes based on my advice is a real learning experience.

Question 18

Give me the Korean for ‘I’m on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it.’

Answer 18

나 해산물 다이어트 중이야. 음식 보면 바로 먹지.
I’m on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it (literal).

Example sentence:
음식이 보이면 무조건 먹는 거지. 이게 내 해산물 다이어트야.
If I see food, I eat it. That’s my seafood diet.

Question 19

Give me the Korean for ‘Life is too important to be taken seriously.’

Answer 19

인생은 너무 중요해서 진지하게 받아들일 수 없어.
Life is too important to be taken seriously (literal).

Example sentence:
인생은 너무 중요한 문제야, 그래서 너무 심각하게 받아들이면 안 돼.
Life is too important to take too seriously, so don’t overthink it.

Question 20

Give me the Korean for ‘If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.’

Answer 20

처음에 성공하지 못하면, 스카이다이빙은 너랑 안 맞아.
If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you (literal).

Example sentence:
한 번에 성공 못 한다면 스카이다이빙은 피하는 게 좋을걸?
If you can’t succeed the first time, maybe skydiving isn’t your thing.

Question 21

Give me the Korean for ‘If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a few payments.’

Answer 21

네가 살아있는지 아무도 신경 안 쓴다고 생각되면, 몇 달치 지불을 안 해봐.
If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a few payments (literal).

Example sentence:
사람들이 네 존재를 모른다고 생각되면, 한 번 빚을 갚지 말아봐. 그때 알게 될 거야.
Think no one cares about you? Try not paying your bills for a bit and you’ll find out!

Question 22

Give me the Korean for ‘The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up.’

Answer 22

일찍 뒤쳐질수록, 따라잡을 시간이 더 많아.
The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up (literal).

Example sentence:
일찍 뒤처지면 천천히 따라잡을 수 있지. 여유 있게 가자.
If you fall behind early, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Take it easy!

Question 23

Give me the Korean for ‘Life is too short to be taken seriously, but it’s long enough to regret it.’

Answer 23

인생은 너무 짧아서 심각하게 받아들일 수 없지만, 후회할 만큼은 길지.
Life is too short to be taken seriously, but it’s long enough to regret it (literal).

Example sentence:
인생을 너무 심각하게 살 필요 없지만, 후회는 할 시간이 충분히 있지.
You don’t have to take life too seriously, but you’ll have plenty of time to regret things.

Question 24

Give me the Korean for ‘Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.’

Answer 24

지식은 토마토가 과일이라는 걸 아는 거고, 지혜는 그걸 과일 샐러드에 안 넣는 거지.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad (literal).

Example sentence:
지식은 토마토가 과일이라는 걸 말해주지만, 지혜는 그걸 샐러드에 넣지 말라고 말해주지.
Knowledge tells you a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom stops you from adding it to a fruit salad.

Question 25

Give me the Korean for ‘The trouble with life is there’s no background music.’

Answer 25

삶의 문제는 배경 음악이 없다는 거야.
The trouble with life is there’s no background music (literal).

Example sentence:
내 인생이 드라마처럼 느껴지는데, 배경 음악만 있으면 딱인데 말이지.
My life feels like a drama, but it’s missing background music.

Question 26

Give me the Korean for ‘A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.’

Answer 26

균형 잡힌 식단은 양손에 쿠키 하나씩 들고 먹는 거야.
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand (literal).

Example sentence:
완벽한 균형 잡힌 식단은 한 손에 하나씩 쿠키를 들고 먹는 거지.
A perfectly balanced diet is having one cookie in each hand!

Question 27

Give me the Korean for ‘The older I get, the more I realize I still don’t know what I’m doing.’

Answer 27

나이가 들수록 내가 뭘 하고 있는지 여전히 모른다는 걸 깨달아.
The older I get, the more I realize I still don’t know what I’m doing (literal).

Example sentence:
나이 먹을수록 더 잘 알 줄 알았는데, 아직도 뭐 하는지 모르겠어.
The older I get, I thought I’d know better, but I still have no clue what I’m doing.

Question 28

Give me the Korean for ‘By the time you realize your parents were right, you have kids who think you’re wrong.’

Answer 28

부모님이 맞았다는 걸 깨달을 즈음, 넌 이미 자식들에게 틀렸다는 소리를 듣고 있지.
By the time you realize your parents were right, you have kids who think you’re wrong (literal).

Example sentence:
부모님이 맞다는 걸 알았을 때쯤, 내 아이들은 내가 틀렸다고 말하더라고.
When I realized my parents were right, my kids were already telling me I was wrong.

Question 29

Give me the Korean for ‘Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.’

Answer 29

기회는 두드리지 않아. 네가 문을 부수고 들어갈 때 나타나지.
Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door (literal).

Example sentence:
기회를 기다리기만 하면 안 돼. 문을 부수고 들어가면 기회가 찾아오는 거야.
Don’t just wait for opportunity to knock. Kick the door down and find it.

Question 30

Give me the Korean for ‘I didn’t fail the test. I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.’

Answer 30

시험에 떨어진 게 아니야. 그냥 틀리는 방법 100가지를 발견한 거야.
I didn’t fail the test. I just found 100 ways to do it wrong (literal).

Example sentence:
시험에서 실패한 게 아니야, 내가 100가지 틀린 방법을 발견한 거지.
I didn’t fail the test, I just discovered 100 wrong ways to answer it.

Question 31

Give me the Korean for ‘Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.’

Answer 31

너는 절대적으로 유일하다는 걸 항상 기억해. 물론 다른 사람들처럼.
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else (literal).

Example sentence:
넌 절대적으로 특별해. 물론 나머지 모두도 그렇지만 말이야.
You’re absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.

Question 32

Give me the Korean for ‘Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.’

Answer 32

빛은 소리보다 빠르다. 그래서 사람들이 말하기 전까지는 똑똑해 보이는 거야.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak (literal).

Example sentence:
사람들이 처음엔 똑똑해 보이는데, 말하면 그게 아니더라고.
Some people look smart until they start talking.

Question 33

Give me the Korean for ‘The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.’

Answer 33

인생의 유일한 미스터리는 왜 가미카제 조종사들이 헬멧을 썼는가야.
The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets (literal).

Example sentence:
가미카제 조종사들이 헬멧을 썼다는 게 인생의 가장 큰 수수께끼지.
Why would kamikaze pilots wear helmets? That’s the real mystery in life.

Question 34

Give me the Korean for ‘Doing nothing is hard, you never know when you’re done.’

Answer 34

아무것도 안 하는 건 어려워. 언제 끝났는지 알 수 없거든.
Doing nothing is hard, you never know when you’re done (literal).

Example sentence:
아무것도 안 하고 있는 게 힘들어. 이게 언제 끝나는지 모르잖아.
Doing nothing is hard. You never know when it’s finished!

Question 35

Give me the Korean for ‘The only way to avoid mistakes is to have no new ideas.’

Answer 35

실수를 피하는 유일한 방법은 새로운 생각을 하지 않는 거야.
The only way to avoid mistakes is to have no new ideas (literal).

Example sentence:
실수를 안 하고 싶으면 아예 아무 생각도 하지 말아야지.
If you don’t want to make mistakes, just don’t think of anything new.

Question 36

Give me the Korean for ‘I’ll try being nicer if you try being smarter.’

Answer 36

네가 좀 더 똑똑해지면 내가 좀 더 친절해질게.
I’ll try being nicer if you try being smarter (literal).

Example sentence:
네가 더 똑똑해지면, 나도 너한테 좀 더 친절해질 수 있어.
I’ll be nicer to you if you can try being smarter.

Question 37

Give me the Korean for ‘Life is short, so smile while you still have teeth.’

Answer 37

인생은 짧아. 이가 있을 때 웃어야지.
Life is short, so smile while you still have teeth (literal).

Example sentence:
인생은 짧으니까, 이가 있을 때 최대한 웃어.
Life’s short, so smile while you still have teeth!

Question 38

Give me the Korean for ‘The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap. Stay safe, eat cake.’

Answer 38

몸무게가 많을수록 납치당하기 힘들어. 안전하려면 케이크 많이 먹어!
The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap. Stay safe, eat cake (literal).

Example sentence:
더 안전하게 지내고 싶으면, 케이크 많이 먹는 게 좋을 걸.
Want to be safer? Just eat more cake!

Question 39

Give me the Korean for ‘Common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it.’

Answer 39

상식은 데오드란트 같아. 가장 필요한 사람들이 절대 안 쓰지.
Common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it (literal).

Example sentence:
상식은 데오드란트랑 비슷해. 필요한 사람일수록 안 쓰더라.
Common sense is a lot like deodorant. The people who need it never use it.

Question 40

Give me the Korean for ‘Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.’

Answer 40

인생은 폭풍이 지나가길 기다리는 게 아니라, 빗속에서 춤추는 법을 배우는 거야.
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain (literal).

Example sentence:
힘든 시기를 지나가기만 기다릴 게 아니라, 그 속에서 즐길 방법을 찾아야지.
Instead of just waiting for tough times to pass, find a way to enjoy them.