개가 짖어도 기차는 달린다
Korean
Etymology
Literally "The dog(s) bark(s), but the train speeds on." Partial calque of English the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on.
Used commonly in both North and South Korea since at least the 1990s. In South Korea, the proverb is most famously associated with (and sometimes mistakenly considered an invention of) President Kim Young-sam, one of the country's first democratically elected leaders. In 1993, Kim disbanded the Hanahoe organization that had been the backbone of the preceding military dictatorship. This was Kim's response when he was asked if he did not fear retaliation from the generals of the Hanahoe.[1]
Pronunciation
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ˈkɛ(ː)ɡa̠ t͡ɕid͡ʑʌ̹do̞ kit͡ɕʰa̠nɯn ta̠ʎʎinda̠] ~ [ˈke̞(ː)ɡa̠ t͡ɕid͡ʑʌ̹do̞ kit͡ɕʰa̠nɯn ta̠ʎʎinda̠]
- Phonetic hangul: [개(ː)가 지저도 기차는 달린다/게(ː)가 지저도 기차는 달린다]
- Though still prescriptive in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
| Romanizations | |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization? | gaega jijeodo gichaneun dallinda |
| Revised Romanization (translit.)? | gaega jij'eodo gichaneun dallinda |
| McCune–Reischauer? | kaega chijŏdo kich'anŭn tallinda |
| Yale Romanization? | kāyka cic.eto ki.chanun tallinta |
Proverb
개가 짖어도 기차는 달린다 • (gae-ga jijeo-do gicha-neun dallinda)
- the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on
References
- 김도균 (2015), “때마다 나오는 "개가 짖어도 열차는 간다"…도대체 이게 무슨 말?”, in SBS News