How To Say "Kill Two Birds With One Stone" In Korean

“Kill

The Korean grammar pattern “V + ㄹ/을 겸” reflects the English idiom of “killing two birds with one stone”.

It’s used to indicate that a single action results in two (or more) outcomes. By adding 도, the subsequent results are emphasized.

Grammar rule: Use V + ㄹ/을 겸 when indicating a single action with dual or multiple results. Emphasize subsequent outcomes with 도.

Dual outcomes with ㄹ/을 겸

Utilizing this pattern, speakers can concisely convey multiple benefits or results of a single action.

Here are some examples:

친구를 만날 겸 한국에서 시간도 최대한 잘 활용할 겸 한국어를 배우기 시작했어요.
To make friends and make the most out of my time in Korea, I learned Korean.

살을 뺄 겸 스트레스도 풀 겸 헬스장에 등록할 생각이에요.
I joined the gym to lose weight and destress at the same time.

관광을 할 겸 수술도 싸게 받을 겸 외국인이 한국에 와요.
Foreigners come to Korea to sightsee and also to have surgery cheaply.

좋은 대학교에서 일하는 경험을 쌓을 겸 돈을 벌 겸 사우디에 왔어요.
I came to Saudi Arabia to gain experience working at a good university and also to earn money.

외국어를 연습할 겸 잘생긴 남자와 데이트를 할 겸 일부 사람이 언어교환해요.
Some people go to language exchanges to practice foreign languages and also date cute guys.

멋있어 보일 겸 피부가 햇볕에 잘 타는 걸 피할 겸 이 긴 소매 셔츠를 입고 있어요.
So that I look cool and so that I avoid getting sunburnt, I'm wearing this long sleeve shirt.

The “ㄹ/을 겸” pattern offers a structured way to talk about multiple outcomes resulting from one action in Korean.

Recognizing and utilizing this pattern can help learners convey complex ideas more succinctly.

Learning Korean?

Want to see my favorite and most comprehensive Korean course?