잔치집에 먹을 것 없으랴.
janchijibe meogeul geot eopseurya.
How can a feast house have nothing to eat?
Meaning
Meaning there must be something available in an abundant place.
Cultural Background
The 'Janchi' culture is central to Korean social life. Historically, feasts were the only time commoners ate meat and white rice. This proverb reflects the hope and trust placed in these moments of communal wealth. In the modern era, this proverb is often applied to 'Chaebols' (conglomerates). It explains why many graduates focus solely on top-tier companies, believing that the 'feast' there is so large it must include them. Similar to the 'Starved Camel' proverb, Chinese culture values the 'scale' of an entity. A large family or business is expected to maintain a certain level of provision even in hard times. Hospitality in the 'Big House' is a sacred duty. This proverb would resonate deeply with the Bedouin tradition of keeping the coffee pot always full for any traveler.
Master the Rhetorical Ending
The '-으랴' ending is the key to sounding like a native proverb expert. It's much more impactful than saying '있을 거예요'.
Don't sound entitled
When using this about a person's wealth, be careful. It can sound like you expect them to give you things.
Meaning
Meaning there must be something available in an abundant place.
Master the Rhetorical Ending
The '-으랴' ending is the key to sounding like a native proverb expert. It's much more impactful than saying '있을 거예요'.
Don't sound entitled
When using this about a person's wealth, be careful. It can sound like you expect them to give you things.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct proverb.
삼성이 그렇게 큰 회사인데 (____________________), 분명 너에게 맞는 자리가 있을 거야.
The context is optimistic about a large company, so '잔치집에 먹을 것 없으랴' is correct.
Which situation best fits the proverb '잔치집에 먹을 것 없으랴'?
Which situation is most appropriate?
The proverb applies to finding resources in a large, abundant place.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 이번에 아주 큰 프로젝트에 참여하게 됐어. 나한테 돌아올 이익이 있을까? 나: 걱정 마. (____________________).
The speaker is reassuring the other that a large project will yield benefits.
Match the proverb to the meaning.
잔치집에 먹을 것 없으랴
It implies that a place of plenty will surely have something to offer.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercises삼성이 그렇게 큰 회사인데 (____________________), 분명 너에게 맞는 자리가 있을 거야.
The context is optimistic about a large company, so '잔치집에 먹을 것 없으랴' is correct.
Which situation is most appropriate?
The proverb applies to finding resources in a large, abundant place.
가: 이번에 아주 큰 프로젝트에 참여하게 됐어. 나한테 돌아올 이익이 있을까? 나: 걱정 마. (____________________).
The speaker is reassuring the other that a large project will yield benefits.
잔치집에 먹을 것 없으랴
It implies that a place of plenty will surely have something to offer.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
2 questionsIn modern standard Korean, '잔칫집' is the correct spelling, but '잔치집' is very common in older texts and proverbs.
Not really. It implies a scale of abundance that a small party usually doesn't have.
Related Phrases
소문난 잔치에 먹을 것 없다
contrastA famous feast has nothing to eat.
부잣집이 망해도 삼 년은 간다
similarEven if a rich house fails, it lasts three years.
창고에서 인심 난다
builds onGenerosity comes from the storehouse.
