Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
오르지 못할 나무는 쳐다도 보지 마라 Oreuji mothal namuneun chyeodado boji mara
Don't even look at a tree you can't climb; know your place and forget chasing things completely out of your league.
What does 오르지 못할 나무는 쳐다도 보지 마라 mean?
오르지 못할 나무는 쳐다도 보지 마라 (Oreuji mothal namuneun chyeodado boji mara) means: Don't even look at a tree you can't climb; know your place and forget chasing things completely out of your league.
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How it's actually used
- 대기업 팀장님한테 고백한다고? 오르지 못할 나무는 쳐다도 보지 마라, 진짜.
Daegieop timjangnimhante gobaekhandago? Oreuji mothal namuneun chyeodado boji mara, jinjja.
You're gonna confess to the corporate team leader? Seriously, don't even look at a tree you can't climb.
💡 Used among close friends to aggressively yet playfully mock an utterly hopeless romantic crush. - 내가 그 차 살 거라고 하니까 친구가 오르지 못할 나무는 쳐다보지도 말라더라.
Naega geu cha sal georago hanikka chinguga oreuji mothal namuneun chyeodabojido malladeora.
When I said I was going to buy that car, my friend told me not to even look at a tree I can't climb.
💡 Shows how the proverb naturally shifts into indirect speech ('-라더라') when recounting financial reality checks. - 오르지 못할 나무는 쳐다도 보지 말라지만, 그래도 한 번 부딪혀라도 볼 거야.
Oreuji mothal namuneun chyeodado boji mallajiman, geuraedo han beon budichyeorado bol geoya.
They say don't even look at a tree you can't climb, but I'm still gonna smash my head against it anyway.
💡 The classic rebellious pivot; natives frequently quote the proverb just to dramatically defy it.
Related words in Social Situations
폭풍 pok-pung시시콜콜 si-si-kol-kol시작이 반이다 Sijagi banida싱겁다 sing-geop-da속이 터지다 Sok-i teo-ji-da