Every month starting from this month I plan on creating a\u00a0monthly series of Korean proverbs.\u00a0 This Korean proverbs series\u00a0will help you understand the Korean culture and language a little better each time you learn a new proverb.\u00a0 Hopefully you’ll look forward to this series and learn from it as well.<\/p>\n
Today’s proverb is “\ub450 \uc190\uc5d0 \ub5a1<\/strong>” (du soneh ddok).\u00a0 To clarify its meaning let’s break this proverb into digestable parts.\u00a0 \ub450<\/strong> = two.\u00a0 \uc190<\/strong> = hand.\u00a0 \ub5a1<\/strong> = rice\u00a0cake.\u00a0\u00a0Altogether it refers to a person who holds two rice cakes in each hand and is unable to eat the rice cakes properly\u00a0because both hands are occupied.\u00a0 In other words,\u00a0your greed can\u00a0prevent you from becoming efficient because instead of doing things one at a time or eating\u00a0the rice cake one at a time, you want to do it all at once or eat both rice cakes at all once with both hands.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This proverb accurately reflects\u00a0the value Koreans\u00a0place on\u00a0doing things at their suggested time, in order, one\u00a0after another.\u00a0 The English phrase “haste makes waste” is very\u00a0similar in meaning to this Korean proverb, except for the fact that it has more to do with overambicion leading to inefficiency.\u00a0 In fact, many Korean proverbs have English equivalents,\u00a0but not all are as clear in meaning as the one we just looked at today.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some proverbs have hidden meanings so\u00a0as not to offend anyone, especially the aristocracy.\u00a0\u00a0The use of Korean proverbs\u00a0goes way back when\u00a0criticizing a noble could warrant death or imprisonment.\u00a0 Therefore,\u00a0Korean proverbs are used to this day to\u00a0criticize people indirectly.\u00a0 However, many\u00a0educated people know the complex meaning behind\u00a0some popular proverbs, so your use of a proverb\u00a0may not be so indirect.\u00a0 At the very least though, when you use a proverb, you’ll look erudite and fluent in Korean.\u00a0 I\u00a0guess you could call it a higher form of trash talking, especially when you want to comment on a situation or a person!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every month starting from this month I plan on creating a\u00a0monthly series of Korean proverbs.\u00a0 This Korean proverbs series\u00a0will help you understand the Korean culture and language a little better each time you learn a new proverb.\u00a0 Hopefully you’ll look forward to this series and learn from it as well. Today’s proverb is “\ub450 \uc190\uc5d0…<\/p>\n