콩으로 메주를 쑤다.
pongeuro mejureul ssuda.
Make meju from soybeans.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A proverb about stating the obvious, usually used to describe someone's extreme credibility or lack thereof.
- Means: Stating a fact so obvious it's impossible to deny.
- Used in: Discussions about trust, skepticism, or emphasizing a clear truth.
- Don't confuse: With 'reaping what you sow'; this is about credibility, not consequences.
Explanation at your level:
意思
To state something obvious and undeniable.
文化背景
Meju making was a communal event in autumn. The smell of boiling beans was a sign of a healthy, prepared home. Because everyone knew the process, it became the ultimate metaphor for 'common sense'. In modern digital culture, this proverb is often used in comments sections on news articles to express cynicism toward corporate or political PR statements. Red beans (팥) are believed to drive away ghosts (귀신). Using '팥' in the variation of this proverb adds a layer of 'magical' or 'impossible' thinking to the concept of blind trust. When doing business with Koreans, 'Shin-ui' (trust) is paramount. This proverb serves as a warning: once you lose a partner's trust, even your most logical facts will be ignored.
Use the Negative
90% of the time, you will use this to say you *don't* believe someone. Master the phrase '안 믿어' at the end.
Don't swap the beans!
If you say '팥으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 안 믿어', it doesn't make sense because nobody would believe that anyway. Stick to 콩 for distrust.
意思
To state something obvious and undeniable.
Use the Negative
90% of the time, you will use this to say you *don't* believe someone. Master the phrase '안 믿어' at the end.
Don't swap the beans!
If you say '팥으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 안 믿어', it doesn't make sense because nobody would believe that anyway. Stick to 콩 for distrust.
Meju is smelly!
Meju has a very strong, pungent smell. This adds a sensory layer to the proverb—the truth is as 'obvious' as a strong smell.
Formal Situations
In formal writing, use '신뢰를 얻기 어렵다' (hard to gain trust) instead of just '안 믿어' after the proverb.
自我测试
Fill in the blanks to complete the proverb about distrust.
그는 거짓말을 너무 많이 해서, 이제는 ( )으로 ( )를 쑨다 해도 안 믿어.
The standard proverb uses 콩 (soybeans) and 메주 (fermented brick).
Which sentence expresses 'Blind Trust'?
다음 중 무조건적인 신뢰를 나타내는 문장은?
Using '팥' (red beans) implies you would believe even an impossible lie.
Match the proverb to the correct situation.
상황: 친구가 매번 약속에 늦으면서 이번에는 진짜 일찍 왔다고 말할 때.
This is the perfect situation to express skepticism toward a chronic liar.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 저 사람이 하는 말은 다 사실이래. B: 글쎄, 나는 저 사람 평판이 안 좋아서 ( ).
Since B is skeptical due to a bad reputation, the negative 'soybean' version is correct.
🎉 得分： /4
视觉学习工具
Bean Comparison
常见问题
14 个问题Yes, it's very common in casual settings for small 'lies' or exaggerations.
'쑤다' is specifically for thick things like porridge or meju. '끓이다' is for liquids like soup.
Because making meju with red beans is impossible. Believing it shows you trust the person more than your own logic.
It is a classic, but it's still very much alive in modern TV shows and daily conversation.
You can, but it sounds like a literal cooking instruction rather than a proverb.
It's typically introduced at B1 (Intermediate) because it requires understanding conditional grammar and cultural metaphors.
Not a direct one, but people might just say '구라 치지 마' (Don't lie) in very casual slang.
Only if you have a very close, long-term relationship with the recipient. Otherwise, it's too informal.
Yes, it is one of the most famous proverbs in the country.
The Hanja is {大豆|대두}, but in the proverb, the native word '콩' is always used.
It's a double 's' (tense). It sounds sharper and stronger than '수다' (chatter).
Not exactly like this one, but there are many about rice cakes (떡).
It's rare. You wouldn't say 'I am a person who makes meju with beans.' It's for judging others.
Then you've invented a new food, but you've ruined a perfectly good proverb!
相关表达
팥으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 믿는다
contrastTo believe even the most obvious lie.
입만 열면 거짓말
similarLying every time one opens their mouth.
양치기 소년
similarThe boy who cried wolf.
당연지사
synonymA matter of course; something natural.
불 보듯 뻔하다
similarAs obvious as looking at a fire.
在哪里用
Talking about a lying politician
A: 그 정치인이 이번에는 진짜라고 하던데요?
B: 에이, 그 사람은 콩으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 못 믿겠어요.
A friend who is always late
지수: 나 진짜 지금 집에서 나갔어! 진짜야!
민호: 웃기지 마. 너는 콩으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 안 믿어.
Expressing absolute loyalty
수지: 내가 그런 실수를 했다고 사람들이 욕해.
현우: 걱정 마. 나는 네가 팥으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 믿어.
Watching a drama with a twist
A: 악역이 갑자기 착해졌어. 진짜일까?
B: 아니, 저 캐릭터는 콩으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 믿으면 안 돼.
In a job interview (discussing integrity)
면접관: 신뢰에 대해 어떻게 생각하십니까?
지원자: 콩으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 믿지 못하는 사람이 되지 않도록, 항상 정직하겠습니다.
Reacting to a 'too good to be true' ad
A: 이 앱만 깔면 돈을 벌 수 있대!
B: 요즘 세상에... 콩으로 메주를 쑨다 해도 그런 건 믿지 마.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a 'Bean-Truth' brick. You can't make a brick (meju) without the bean (truth). If you lie about the bean, you lose the brick!
Visual Association
Imagine a giant wooden pot boiling green soybeans. A person is pointing at it saying 'These are beans!' but everyone else is wearing earplugs and shaking their heads 'No'.
Rhyme
콩으로 메주, 당연한 위주! (With beans, meju; naturally the main focus!)
Story
Once there was a cook who always stole salt. One day, he ran out of salt and said, 'I'm just boiling beans to make meju!' Even though the smell of beans filled the air, the villagers said, 'We don't believe you!' because he had lied so much before.
Word Web
挑战
Try to use this phrase in a sentence today when someone tells you something that is very obviously true but you want to be playful or skeptical.
In Other Languages
The boy who cried wolf / Is the Pope Catholic?
English focuses on the story/result, Korean focuses on the obviousness of the fact.
Verdad de Perogrullo
Spanish uses a character name, Korean uses a culinary process.
Une vérité de La Palice
French focuses on a humorous historical tautology.
Das ist sonnenklar
German uses a nature metaphor; Korean uses a fermented food metaphor.
当たり前 (Atarimae) / 豆腐に鎹 (Tofu ni Kasugai)
Japanese lacks the specific 'distrust of the obvious' proverb structure.
الشمس لا تغطى بغربال (Ash-shamsu la tughatta bi-ghirbal)
Arabic focuses on the futility of hiding truth; Korean focuses on the credibility of the speaker.
指鹿为马 (Zhǐ lù wéi mǎ)
Chinese focuses on political deception; Korean focuses on general social trust.
Chover no molhado
Portuguese focuses on redundancy/uselessness.
Easily Confused
Both involve beans (콩) and red beans (팥).
This one is about 'reaping what you sow' (consequences), while the meju proverb is about 'credibility' (trust).
Both involve soybean products.
'두부 먹듯' means doing something very easily or frequently. It has nothing to do with trust.
常见问题 (14)
Yes, it's very common in casual settings for small 'lies' or exaggerations.
'쑤다' is specifically for thick things like porridge or meju. '끓이다' is for liquids like soup.
Because making meju with red beans is impossible. Believing it shows you trust the person more than your own logic.
It is a classic, but it's still very much alive in modern TV shows and daily conversation.
You can, but it sounds like a literal cooking instruction rather than a proverb.
It's typically introduced at B1 (Intermediate) because it requires understanding conditional grammar and cultural metaphors.
Not a direct one, but people might just say '구라 치지 마' (Don't lie) in very casual slang.
Only if you have a very close, long-term relationship with the recipient. Otherwise, it's too informal.
Yes, it is one of the most famous proverbs in the country.
The Hanja is {大豆|대두}, but in the proverb, the native word '콩' is always used.
It's a double 's' (tense). It sounds sharper and stronger than '수다' (chatter).
Not exactly like this one, but there are many about rice cakes (떡).
It's rare. You wouldn't say 'I am a person who makes meju with beans.' It's for judging others.
Then you've invented a new food, but you've ruined a perfectly good proverb!
