Gam-eon-i-seol

甘

달 감

言

말씀 언

利

이로울 리

說

말씀 설

Character by character

Meaning

Sweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.

Origin

Common in Korean usage as a warning against deceit or coaxing.

How it is used

Frequently used when warning about investment pitches promising high returns.

Hanja甘言利說

Simplified甘言利说

Korean reading감언이설

Pinyingān yán lì shuō

Frequently asked questions

Q. What does Gam-eon-i-seol mean?

甘言利說 · Sweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.

Q. Where does Gam-eon-i-seol come from?

Common in Korean usage as a warning against deceit or coaxing.

Q. How is Gam-eon-i-seol used?

Frequently used when warning about investment pitches promising high returns.

Idioms in the same group

言中有骨 Eon-jung-yu-golThere is bone inside the words — a hard meaning hidden in an ordinary remark.寸鐵殺人 Chon-cheol-sa-rinKill with an inch of steel — pierce the vital point with a few words.以心傳心 I-sim-jeon-simMind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.有口無言 Yu-gu-mu-eonYou have a mouth but nothing to say.一言之下 Il-eon-ji-haSettled in a single word — a flat, immediate response.語不成說 Eo-bul-seong-seolThe words do not add up to a statement — it makes no sense.

The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.