밤말은 쥐가 듣고 낮말은 새가 듣는다

Korean

Etymology

Native Korean, literally meaning "rats hear nighttime talks and birds hear daytime talks"

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [pa̠mma̠ɾɯn t͡ɕɥiɡa̠ tɯt̚k͈o̞ na̠nma̠ɾɯn sʰɛɡa̠ tɯnnɯnda̠] ~ [pa̠mma̠ɾɯn t͡ɕɥiɡa̠ tɯt̚k͈o̞ na̠nma̠ɾɯn sʰe̞ɡa̠ tɯnnɯnda̠] ~ [pa̠mma̠ɾɯn t͡ɕyɡa̠ tɯt̚k͈o̞ na̠nma̠ɾɯn sʰɛɡa̠ tɯnnɯnda̠] ~ [pa̠mma̠ɾɯn t͡ɕyɡa̠ tɯt̚k͈o̞ na̠nma̠ɾɯn sʰe̞ɡa̠ tɯnnɯnda̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [밤마른 쥐가 듣꼬 난마른 새가 든는다/밤마른 쥐가 듣꼬 난마른 세가 든는다]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	bammareun jwiga deutgo nanmareun saega deunneunda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	bammal'eun jwiga deudgo najmal'eun saega deudneunda
McCune–Reischauer?	pammarŭn chwiga tŭtko nanmarŭn saega tŭnnŭnda
Yale Romanization?	pammal.un cwika tutko nacmal.un sayka tutnunta

Proverb

밤말은 쥐가 듣고 낮말은 새가 듣는다 • (bammar-eun jwi-ga deutgo nanmar-eun sae-ga deunneunda)

1. walls have ears

Usage notes

• The order of bam "nighttime" before nat "daytime" accords with 밤낮 (bamnat) "night and day" and 음양 (陰陽, eumyang) "yin and yang, dark and light," better than the alternative form vice versa.

Alternative forms

• 낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다 (nanmareun saega deutgo bammareun jwiga deunneunda)