Korean Dictionary
How to say "Killing Two Birds with One Stone" in Korean
“Killing Two Birds with One Stone” in Korean is 일석이조 (pronounced "Ilseokijo").
일석이조
Ilseokijo
Usage & Context
Ilseokijo is a Korean idiom meaning to achieve two goals with one action, equivalent to the English idiom killing two birds with one stone.
Example Sentence
운동도 하고 스트레스도 풀어서 일석이조예요.
It is killing two birds with one stone by exercising and relieving stress.
How to use 일석이조 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Killing Two Birds with One Stone” is 일석이조, romanized as Ilseokijo.
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 일석이조.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'il-seok-i-jo'. Each syllable is a separate Chinese character: 'il' (one), 'seok' (stone), 'i' (two), 'jo' (bird). Crisp and staccato.
More Example Sentences
commute
자전거 타고 출근하면 운동도 되고 일석이조예요.
Biking to work gives me exercise too — two birds one stone.
product review
이 제품은 청소하면서 살균도 돼서 일석이조네요.
This product cleans and sanitizes — it's a twofer.
work travel
여행 겸 출장, 일석이조죠!
Business trip plus travel — killing two birds with one stone!
Cultural Context
일석이조 is a classical 사자성어 (four-character idiom) from Chinese. Koreans use it constantly in business, advertising, and casual speech to brag about clever efficiency. A near-synonym is 꿩 먹고 알 먹기 (eating the pheasant and the egg) — a more native, colloquial expression with the same meaning.
Editorial note
We review entries like 일석이조 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
이거 진짜 일석이조네요.
This is really a two-for-one.
일석이조의 효과가 있어요.
It has a two-birds-one-stone effect.
꿩 먹고 알 먹고!
Pheasant and egg — win-win!
Related Expressions
꿩 먹고 알 먹기
kkwong meokgo al meokgi
eating the pheasant and the egg (native idiom)
일거양득
ilgeoyangdeuk
one action, two gains
사자성어
sajaseongeo
four-character idiom
효율적
hyoyuljeok
efficient
More Idioms & Proverbs Words
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