똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다.
Ttong mudeun gaega gyeo mudeun gae namuranda.
A dog with feces scolds a dog with chaff.
Significado
Someone who is guilty criticizing another for a lesser fault; pot calling the kettle black.
Contexto cultural
The proverb uses '겨' (chaff), which was a common byproduct of rice farming. It shows how deeply Korean wisdom is rooted in agriculture. Confucianism emphasizes 'self-rectification' (수신). Criticizing others before fixing oneself is seen as a major character flaw in Korea. In Korea, dogs were historically viewed as lowly animals. Using a dog as the subject of a proverb often adds a layer of 'base' or 'unrefined' behavior to the metaphor. This proverb is a favorite of political cartoonists in Korea. You will often see drawings of dogs with political party logos on them scolding each other.
Shorten it for impact
In casual speech, you can just say '똥 묻은 개가...' and trail off. Everyone will know exactly what you mean.
Don't use with elders
Even though it's a proverb, the word '똥' (dung) makes it too blunt for people you need to show high respect to.
Significado
Someone who is guilty criticizing another for a lesser fault; pot calling the kettle black.
Shorten it for impact
In casual speech, you can just say '똥 묻은 개가...' and trail off. Everyone will know exactly what you mean.
Don't use with elders
Even though it's a proverb, the word '똥' (dung) makes it too blunt for people you need to show high respect to.
Use with '격이다'
Adding '...격이다' (it is like) makes your sentence sound more sophisticated and analytical.
Ponte a prueba
Complete the proverb with the correct words.
똥 묻은 개가 ___ 묻은 개 ___.
The standard proverb is '똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다.'
Which situation best fits this proverb?
Situation: A student who never does homework tells his friend, 'You should study harder!'
The student is being hypocritical, which is exactly what the dog proverb describes.
Choose the most natural response.
가: 지민이는 자기도 맨날 늦으면서 나한테 시간 약속 잘 지키래. 나: ________________________.
The proverb is the perfect response to point out Jimin's hypocrisy.
Match the word to its meaning in the proverb.
1. 똥, 2. 겨, 3. 나무라다
똥 = Dung, 겨 = Chaff, 나무라다 = Scold.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Dung vs. Chaff
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejercicios똥 묻은 개가 ___ 묻은 개 ___.
The standard proverb is '똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다.'
Situation: A student who never does homework tells his friend, 'You should study harder!'
The student is being hypocritical, which is exactly what the dog proverb describes.
가: 지민이는 자기도 맨날 늦으면서 나한테 시간 약속 잘 지키래. 나: ________________________.
The proverb is the perfect response to point out Jimin's hypocrisy.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
똥 = Dung, 겨 = Chaff, 나무라다 = Scold.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
8 preguntasIt's not a swear word, but it is blunt. It's like saying 'poop' or 'dung.' In a proverb, it's perfectly acceptable.
It is the husk or chaff of grain (like rice). It's very light and barely considered 'dirt,' which creates the contrast with 'dung.'
Only with close colleagues. Using it about a boss or in a formal meeting would be seen as very aggressive.
You can use '내로남불' (Nae-ro-nam-bul) or '적반하장' (Jeok-ban-ha-jang), which are slightly more abstract.
In old Korea, dogs were everywhere and often got into messes. They were the easiest animals to use for social metaphors.
Yes, it's the plain present tense (-ㄴ다), which is standard for proverbs to show a universal truth.
No, proverbs are fixed expressions. If you change the words, it's no longer the proverb.
Then you might say '도긴개긴' (Do-gin-gae-gin), which means 'there's no difference between the two.'
Frases relacionadas
적반하장
similarThe thief turns on the owner with a stick.
내로남불
similarIf I do it, it's romance; if you do it, it's an affair.
가랑잎이 솔잎더러 바스락거린다고 한다
synonymThe dry leaf tells the pine needle it's making too much noise.
사돈 남 말 한다
similarYou're talking like it's someone else's business (when it's yours).
