Looking for inspiration? Here are a few wise Korean proverbs one must learn

Gaining wisdom from different countries does no harm.

So does learning Korean proverbs. The ancestors of Korea have kept behind some really meaningful proverbs, which are as wise as they sound. We, till now, knew Korea only for its music band, skincare, or culture, but now let us delve into their pool of knowledge. Here are some interesting Korean proverbs which will make you love the language and its wisdom even more.

A family of talkers makes the sauce bitter

Just like the English proverb, ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’, in a similar way, this Korean proverb also means that too many people at work might end up making the task worse. Koreans are usually known to make their own sauces, like soya sauce or chilli sauce, so a family that has too many talkers or experts will make the sauce bitter, or spoil it, is what they mean.

The crawfish is on the crab’s side

You will find Koreans using this proverb to point to people who are in similar situations and that they understand each other better, being in the same situation, and therefore stick together just like the crawfish sticks on the crab’s side.

Don’t spread ashes on cooked rice

This literally means asking someone not to spoil or ruin a happy or fun event. Just like if someone announces bad news at a family ceremony, this will mean raining on someone’s parade or spreading ashes on cooked rice.

Don’t teach fish how to swim

Quite a commonly understood proverb from the Koreans. It actually means one must not try to be over-smart with a more intellectual person or with someone who is an expert in the field.

Even monkeys fall from trees

One of the most commonly used traditional Korean proverbs. It means that even an expert can make a mistake, or precisely if someone says he or she is good at something, they still might make a mistake. Just like monkeys, who only keep climbing from one tree to the other and are great climbers, they might also fall down once in a while.

Bellybutton is bigger than the belly

Usually, when people spend too much money on some product which does not seem at all to be worth that small amount, this Korean proverb is used. It literally means some things or actions might cost more than it actually should, which implies pure waste. Hence, it is advised that the belly button should not be bigger than the belly.

So, which one are you going to use with your friends now? Also, keep learning more.