By Korea.net Honorary reporter Cintia Mancilla from Argentina
Photos = Cintia Mancilla

Proverbs can easily summarize common situations in life. Have you ever thought about how many times you've used them?

A proverb is a brief and simple way to learn a phrase that teaches a valuable lesson, hidden in some way. They were created and accepted by one particular language to eventually apply to everyday occurrences. In Korea they are known as sokdam (속담). Some of the following proverbs are commonly used in other countries or share a very similar meanings. I had fun drawing, learning and searching their equivalents in both Spanish and English. I hope you can learn and also make good use of them if you have the opportunity.



A sungnyung is a traditional beverage made from boiled scorched rice called nurungji (누룽지). In earlier times, the remaining crust from cooking rice until the water boils off, is placed in heavy iron cauldrons, and it was recycled to make this infusion. People needed to collect plenty of water from the well to make it. This proverb tells you to be patient because to create sungnyung, as well as in certain situations in life, you are required to follow given procedures. You won't find it ready to drink if you just go directly to the well.

Monkeys are certainly good at climbing trees, but they can fall if they make one mistake. That situation doesn’t discourage them, but encourages them to try harder to not slip again.

We should learn to appreciate more what we have, than to simply desire what other people have. If you see from a distance, everything looks great and perfect, but if you take a closer look, things are not what they seem from afar.



You don´t need to tell the world how good you are, but you have to prove it, instead. Being confident is a good thing until it turns out to be arrogance, guiding you to make promises that you aren´t sure you can fulfill.

Life can be unpredictable sometimes. Even if you think you have it all under your control, unexpected incidents may happen. Double checking everything won´t do you any harm.

A ri (리, 里) is an old unit of distance that was replaced by the current kilometer. Life can be wonderful and filling if you can take any opportunity you have to live it to the fullest. It doesn’t matter how small or big your goals are. You should take the first step and keep on going.



Taesan Mountain (태산, 泰山) is a sacred mountain in Shandong Province, China, and is one of the greatest mountains in the country. This Korean idiom teaches us to not waste anything, even if it seems insignificant. If we gather many of them, we can get benefits in the future.

When we feel low and sad because we can’t find our “half orange,” people probably say this proverb to you. There's always someone waiting for you in this big world.

When the night says goodbye, the day will say hello. We could be going through tough times, but everything, sooner or later, will pass and good things are nearby.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.