Webcentive Proverbs

Proverb from South Korea

Korean

가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다

Ganeun mari gowaya oneun mari gopda

“Only if the words you send out are kind will the words that come back be kind.”

Meaning

Speak kindly to others, and they will speak kindly to you.

Source

조재수 (Cho Jae-su), “국어사전에서의 속담 처리” (How dictionaries treat proverbs), 새국어생활 vol. 4 no. 2 (National Institute of Korean Language, 1994)

The article uses this proverb as an example and notes that the 큰사전 dictionary (1957) lists it under 말 (words).

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What is a proverb? A short, well-known, and memorable saying that expresses a common truth, practical experience, or piece of advice.

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