Korean Dictionary
How to say "Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover" in Korean
“Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover” in Korean is 외모로 사람을 판단하지 마라 (pronounced "Oemoro Sarameul Pandanhaji Mara").
외모로 사람을 판단하지 마라
Oemoro Sarameul Pandanhaji Mara
Usage & Context
This proverb warns against judging people by their appearance alone. In Korea, it is often used to encourage looking beyond superficial traits.
Example Sentence
외모로 사람을 판단하면 안 돼요.
You should not judge people by their appearance.
How to use 외모로 사람을 판단하지 마라 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover” is 외모로 사람을 판단하지 마라, romanized as Oemoro Sarameul Pandanhaji Mara.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 외모로 사람을 판단하지 마라.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'oe-mo-ro sa-ram-eul pan-dan-ha-ji ma-ra'. '외모' sounds like 'weh-mo'. '판단' has aspirated ㅍ and ㅌ.
More Example Sentences
defending someone
외모로 사람을 판단하지 마라, 진짜 친절한 사람일 수도 있어.
Don't judge by looks — they might actually be really kind.
dating advice
첫인상만으로 판단하지 마세요.
Don't judge just by first impressions.
serious conversation
외모로 판단하는 건 편견이에요.
Judging by appearance is prejudice.
Cultural Context
This is a modernized saying; Koreans may also recognize 겉모습만 보고 속을 판단하지 마라 (don't judge the inside by the outside). Korea is famously appearance-conscious (외모 지상주의 = 'lookism'), so this phrase often carries real weight as a push back against that culture. 사람은 겉만 봐서 모른다 is another common version.
Editorial note
We review entries like 외모로 사람을 판단하지 마라 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
사람 겉만 보고 판단하지 마.
Don't judge people just by their surface.
겉과 속은 달라요.
The outside and inside are different.
첫인상이 다가 아니에요.
First impression isn't everything.
Related Expressions
외모
oemo
outward appearance
첫인상
cheosinsang
first impression
편견
pyeongyeon
prejudice, bias
속마음
songma-eum
true feelings, inner heart
More Idioms & Proverbs Words
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