등잔 밑이 어둡다

deungjan miti eoduepda◆proverb
to overlook the obvious

등잔 밑이 어둡다며, 내가 잃어버린 열쇠를 바로 옆에 두고 있었다.

I overlooked the obvious; my lost keys were right next to me.

◆ What It Really Means
To overlook something obvious or important that is right in front of you.
Literal Meaning
The area under the lamp is dark.
Literal Breakdown
등잔oil lamp+밑under+어둡다to be dark
◇ Mental Image
A lamp shining light outward, leaving the area directly beneath it in darkness, symbolizing how we often overlook what's right in front of us.
◈ When to Use
A friend realizes they've been looking for their glasses everywhere but they were on their head the whole time. You might say, '등잔 밑이 어둡다며, 안경이 머리 위에 있었네!'
◉ Cultural Note
This proverb reflects a common human tendency to overlook the obvious, often due to being too focused on other things or not paying attention to one's immediate surroundings.
informal

To fail to notice something obvious or important that is right in front of you, often due to being too focused on other things.

등잔 밑이 어둡다며, 내가 필요한 자료를 이미 컴퓨터에 저장해 두었다.

I overlooked the obvious; I already saved the documents I needed on my computer.

This proverb is often used to humorously point out someone's oversight of something obvious.

Related Phrases

코앞의 것을 못 보다proverb
to be unable to see what's right in front of you

Pro Tip

Usage Context

This proverb is often used in a lighthearted or self-deprecating way to acknowledge a mistake.

Word Origin

The phrase comes from the idea that the area directly under a lamp (등잔) is often the darkest because the light shines outward, making it easy to overlook what's right beneath it.

Usage Notes

This proverb is commonly used in everyday conversations to gently tease or remind someone that they've missed something obvious.

Word Breakdown

등잔
oil lamp
root
+
밑
under
root
+
어둡다
to be dark
root
한영사전