Hello everyone, this is admin Sung. Today, I’m going to introduce you Sajaseong-eo that starts with letter ‘ㄴ’. Before start, Sajaseong-eo is an idiom consisting of four Chinese letters. It contains a lesson or origin.
내우외환 內憂外患 (🡪 nae-u-oe-han)
內 : 안 내 (inside)
憂 : 근심 우 (worry)
外 : 바깥 외 (outside)
患 : 환난 환 (hardship)
Direct translation: internal and external troubles
Liberal translation: To mean anxiety or conflict within the country and hardship from outside the country; a word that human beings always live in anxiety
노승발검 怒蠅拔劍 (🡪 no-seung-bal-gum)
怒 : 노할 노 (to be in a rage)
蠅 : 파리 승 (a fly)
拔 : 뽑을 발 (Draw (a sword)
劍 : 칼 검 (sword)
Direct translation: When one sees a fly, he gets angry and pulls a knife and chases it
Liberal translation: To get angry at trivial things, to take too great measures against trifles
노심초사 勞心焦思 (🡪 no-sim-cho-sa)
勞 : 힘쓸 로 (work hard)
心 : 마음 심 (mind)
焦 : 그을릴 초 (blacken)
思 : 생각 사 (thought)
Direct translation: To have a lot of thoughts in my mind and be torn by anxiety
Liberal translation: a state of great apprehension and worry about something
능소능대 能小能大 (🡪 neung-so-neung-dae)
能 : 능할 능 (be good at)
小 : 작을 소 (small)
能 : 능할 능 (be good at)
大 : 큰 대 (huge)
Direct translation: To be good at both small things and big things
Liberal translation: To be proficient in everything
난형난제 難兄難弟 (🡪 nan-hyeong-nan-je)
難 : 어려울 난 (difficult)
兄 : 형 형 (older brother)
難 : 어려울 난 (difficult)
弟 : 아우 제 (younger brother)
Direct translation: It’s hard to be an older brother or a younger brother
Liberal translation: Having similar learning and talents, it is difficult to distinguish superiority between two
누란지위 累卵之危 (🡪 nu-ran-ji-wi)
累 : 포갤 누 (to pile up)
卵 : 알 란 (an egg)
之 : 의 지 (‘s)
危 : 위태할 위 (precarious)
Direct translation: To lay several eggs on top of each other
Liberal translation: a fragile and precarious state
낭충지추 囊中之錐 (🡪 nang-chung-ji-chu)
囊 : 주머니 낭 (a pocket)
中 : 가운데 중 (the middle)
之 : 갈 지 (to be)
錐 : 송곳 추 (an awl)
Direct translation: an awl in one’s pocket
Liberal translation: Just as a sharp awl always pierces through it even if it stays still, a man of outstanding talent is seen by others
난공불락 難攻不落 (🡪 nan-gong-bul-lak)
難 : 어려울 난 (difficult)
攻 : 공격할 공 (to attack)
不 : 아닐 불 (not)
落 : 떨어질 락 (to fall)
Direct translation: Not only is it difficult to attack, but it is never taken down
Liberal translation: Target difficult to handle
노방생주 老蚌生珠 (🡪 no-bang-saeng-ju)
老 : 늙을 노 (old)
蚌 : 조개 방 (a shell)
生 : 날 생 (born)
珠 : 구슬 주 (a marble)
Direct translation: Old clams produce pearls
Liberal translation: To praise a person for having a bright son, the father and son have excellent academic talent
