Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
바늘 도둑이 소 도둑 된다 Baneul dodugi so doduk doenda
A sharp professional warning that minor office shortcuts and petty policy violations inevitably pave the way for career-ending corporate fraud.
What does 바늘 도둑이 소 도둑 된다 mean?
바늘 도둑이 소 도둑 된다 (Baneul dodugi so doduk doenda) means: A sharp professional warning that minor office shortcuts and petty policy violations inevitably pave the way for career-ending corporate fraud.
Speakers use this proverb when pointing out how minor compliance issues or small procedural shortcuts in professional settings can snowball into catastrophic corporate scandals. It typically appears in warnings or discussions regarding internal auditing, compliance reviews, and ethics training where initial rule-breaking is overlooked. The phrase describes a progression from insignificant infractions to severe misconduct.
In a corporate environment, this can sound like a stern warning from a senior manager or compliance officer, often shifting the tone from professional guidance to a moral caution about personal accountability.
In a corporate environment, this can sound like a stern warning from a senior manager or compliance officer, often shifting the tone from professional guidance to a moral caution about personal accountability.
🎙️ 바늘 도둑이 소 도둑 된다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [바늘 도두기 소 도둑 뙨다]로 소리나요 (경음화, 연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 바늘을 훔치던 사람이 계속 반복하다 보면 결국은 소까지도 훔친다는 뜻으로, 작은 나쁜 짓도 자꾸 하게 되면 큰 죄를 저지르게 됨을 비유적으로 이르는 말.
baneureul humchideon sarami gyesok banbokhada bomyeon gyeolguk-eun so-kkajido humchindaneun tteus-euro, jageun nappeun jito jakku hage doemyeonkeun joe-reul jeojireuge doem-eul biyujeog-euro ireuneun mal.
Meaning that a person who steals a needle will eventually steal a cow if it is repeated, used metaphorically to mean that committing small misdeeds continually leads to major crimes.
💡 Illustrates the core definition of the proverb regarding escalating misbehavior. - 작은 나쁜 짓도 자꾸 하게 되면 큰 죄를 저지르게 됨을 비유적으로 이르는 말로 바늘 도둑이 소 도둑 된다고 한다.
jageun nappeun jito jakku hage doemyeonkeun joe-reul jeojireuge doem-eul biyujeog-euro ireuneun mal-lo baneul dodugi so doduk doendago handa.
It is said that a thief of a needle becomes a thief of a cow, meaning that small bad deeds committed repeatedly lead to major crimes.
💡 Shows the proverb applied to a discussion of escalating offenses. - 바늘 쌈지에서 도둑이 난다
baneul ssamji-eseo dodugi nanda
A thief emerges from the needle pouch.
💡 A synonymous proverb reflecting the same concept of small beginnings leading to major wrongdoing.
Related words in Social Situations
발을 빼다 Bareul ppaeda비행기 태우다 Bihaeng-gi taeuda보통 bo-tong보기 좋은 떡이 먹기도 좋다 Bogi joeun tteogi meokgi-do jota보기에는 bogieneun