KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Proverbs & idioms › 동병상련
“People in the same plight…” in Korean
동병상련
dongbyeongsangnyeon
Meaning
People in the same plight sympathize with each other.
Usage note
From 同病相憐: those who suffer the same illness pity one another. Used when people in similar hardship, such as job-seekers or exam candidates, empathize and support each other.
Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.
How to pronounce it
Said aloud, it sounds like [동병상년].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 동 | ㄷ+ㅗ+ㅇ | dong |
| 병 | ㅂ+ㅕ+ㅇ | byeong |
| 상 | ㅅ+ㅏ+ㅇ | sang |
| 련 | ㄹ+ㅕ+ㄴ | [년] nyeon |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Nasalization: a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ becomes ㅇ, ㄴ or ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ (and a ㄹ after ㅁ or ㅇ becomes ㄴ). 상련 → [상년]
Speech style
There is no verb ending, so the phrase has no politeness level of its own: it is a short fixed expression or a noun phrase.
Quick self-check
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 What does “동병상련” mean?
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Answer: People in the same plight sympathize with each other
Question 2 How do you say “People in the same plight sympathize with each other” in Korean?
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Answer: 동병상련 dongbyeongsangnyeon
Question 3 How is “동병상련” pronounced?
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Answer: [동병상년]
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Practice in the gameMore phrases for this situation
- 우이독경Preaching to deaf ears
- 설상가상To make matters worse, one misfortune follows another
- 눈코 뜰 새 없이 바쁘다Too busy to even catch a breath
- 대기만성Great talents bloom late
- 까마귀 날자 배 떨어진다A coincidence that makes you look guilty
- 어깨가 무겁다I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders
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