Korean Proverb Series 15
The Day You Go Happens to Be Market Day
"가는 날이 장날이다"
(Ganeun nal-i jangnal-ida)
🕰️ 1. The Proverb’s Core Meaning
The Korean proverb “가는 날이 장날이다” literally translates to:
“The day you go happens to be market day.”
It describes an unlucky or inconvenient coincidence — when something unexpected happens to interfere with your plans. The proverb reflects life’s unpredictability and the humor in encountering trouble just when things seem to be going smoothly.
🪄 2. Meaning & Key Lesson
- Sometimes bad timing is just part of life.
- The proverb reminds us to accept unexpected events with patience and adaptability.
- It teaches flexibility — plans may fail, but attitude determines how we handle surprise or inconvenience.
👀 3. Real-Life Applications
- You visit a government office, only to find it closed for renovation.
- You go on a trip, but it starts raining the moment you arrive.
- You try to meet a friend, only to find they left town that day.
🌏 4. Similar Proverbs Around the World
CountryProverb / SayingInterpretation
| United States | “When it rains, it pours.” | Misfortunes often happen all at once. |
| United Kingdom | “Sod’s Law” / “Murphy’s Law” | Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. |
| China | “屋漏偏逢连夜雨” (Wū lòu piān féng lián yè yǔ) | “When the roof leaks, it happens to rain all night.” — misfortune comes in clusters. |
💬 A Warm Saying
“Life doesn’t always follow your plan —
but every wrong turn has its own story.”
📌 Note
This is a creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission.
Sharing is welcome with proper source citation.
'한국 속담과 세계 속담' 카테고리의 다른 글
| 한국 속담 : 미꾸라지 천 년에 용 된다 (0) | 2025.10.09 |
|---|---|
| 한국 속담 : 여우를 피해서 호랑이를 만났다 (1) | 2025.10.08 |
| 한국 속담 : 나는 새도 떨어뜨리고 닫는 짐승도 못 가게 한다 (0) | 2025.10.07 |
| 한국 속담 : 메부엉이라고 날개질이야 못할까 (0) | 2025.10.06 |
| 한국 속담 : 고생을 사서 한다 (0) | 2025.10.05 |
| 한국 속담 : 머리 검은 짐승은 거두지 말라 (0) | 2025.10.04 |
| 한국 속담 : 사돈 남 말 한다 (0) | 2025.10.03 |
| 한국 속담 : 족제비 잡은 데 꼬리 달라는 격 (0) | 2025.10.02 |