Everyday Korean

Episode 64

남의 떡이 더 커 보인다.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

By Harsh Kumar Mishra

Grammar

V~을/ㄹ 걸: This grammar point is used with verbs and acts as an ending that expresses a feeling of regret on the part of the speaker. It is like English’s “should have done (something).” Use “~ 을 걸” when a verb ends in a final consonant (받침, batchim), and “~ㄹ 걸” when it ends in a vowel.

Ex:

- 더 열심히 공부했을 걸 I should have studied harder.

- 비가 오지도 않았는데 우산을 사지 않았을 걸. It did not even rain; I should not have bought the umbrella.

남의 떡이 더 커 보인다: This frequently used proverb is exactly the same as English’s “The grass is always greener on other side.” The use of “떡” (tteok) in the expression reflects the significance of rice cake in Korean culture.

Ex:

가: 미국은 한국보다 살기 좋아요.

It is more comfortable to live in the USA than in Korea.

나: 남의 떡이 더 커 보여요. 미국에서 먹고 사는 게 너무

힘들어요

The grass is greener on the other side. It is as difficult to make a livelihood in the USA.

The Author

Harsh Kumar Mishra is a linguist and Korean language educator. He volunteers with TOPIKGUIDE.com and Learnkorean.in. He has also coauthored the book Korean Language for Indian Learners.