[Korean Culture & Language] Misery Loves Company

Hello, this is Uptempo!


There’s a Swedish proverb, “Shared joy is a double joy; Shared sorrow is half a sorrow.” Have you ever felt happier after sharing your joys, happiness, or accomplishments with others? How about when you share your troubles, sorrows, or failures? 

In Korea, the expression “동병상련” is often used to mean “shared sorrow can half a sorrow.”
It’s made up of four Chinese letters: 同病相憐.
동 (同) means ‘Same’ or ‘together’
병 (病) means ‘illness’ or ‘sickness’
상 (相) means ‘each other’ or ‘mutually’
련 (憐) means ‘to pity’ or ‘to sympathize.’
The phrase is directly translated to “Feeling pity or empathy for someone who has the same illness”. However, it can actually be used for any kind of suffering, not just illness. 

Ex)
A: 미안한데, 우리 다시 약속 잡아야 할 것 같아. 열나서 조퇴했어…
A: I’m sorry, but we may have to reschedule. I left work early today because I have a fever.
B: 괜찮아. 사실 나도 오늘 몸이 좀 안 좋았어.
B: That’s okay. I wasn’t feeling well myself.
A: 동병상련이네.
A: We’re sharing our illness. (We’re sharing our misery. /Misery loves company.)

Ex)
A: 나 어제저녁에 여자친구랑 헤어졌어.
A: I broke up with my girlfriend last night.
B: 나도 어제 여자친구랑 대판 싸웠어…
B: I had a huge fight with my girlfriend, too…
A: 저녁에 맥주 콜? 동병상련이나 하자.
A: Do you want to grab some beer later? Misery loves company.

Have you ever experienced ‘동병상련’ before? Please share your story below!

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