돼지 목에 진주

You can use this as a full sentence or a descriptive label. If you see your friend using a $3,000 laptop just to play Minesweeper, this is your line. It is often used with the verb 목걸이 (necklace) to say 돼지 목에 진주 목걸이. It sounds a bit biting, so use it with a smirk among friends. Don't say it to your boss unless you want a very long vacation!

Use it when you feel a sense of waste. Maybe you bought a gourmet meal for a picky eater. Or perhaps you shared a deep, philosophical thought with someone who just wants to talk about the weather. It works perfectly in casual venting sessions. It’s great for texting when a friend makes a questionable fashion choice with expensive items. It highlights the mismatch between the object and the owner.

Avoid using this in serious or formal settings. It is inherently insulting to the person being compared to the 'pig.' Never use it to describe a gift you received, as it makes you look arrogant. Also, don't use it for things that are just 'mismatched' without a value difference. If you wear sneakers with a suit, that's just a style choice, not a pearl on a pig.

This phrase actually has biblical roots but has been fully localized in Korea. In Korean culture, pigs are often symbols of wealth or luck (like dreaming of pigs). However, in this specific idiom, the pig represents ignorance and lack of refinement. It reflects the high value Koreans place on 'noon-chi' (social sense). Knowing how to appreciate the value of things is considered a sign of maturity.

You might hear people add 목걸이 (necklace) to the end: 돼지 목에 진주 목걸이다. Sometimes people shorten it to just 돼지 목에 진주 when they are sighing in frustration. Another similar vibe is 개발에 편자 (a horseshoe on a dog's foot). This also means something is totally out of place or too good for the wearer. Both carry that spicy, judgmental energy we love in idioms.