day 104four-character words: fortune and fate

four-character words: fortune and fate

Read headlines and news built on four-character words (사면초가, 동상이몽, 만장일치, 어부지리, 시기상조) and talk about fortune and fate (새옹지마, 설상가상, 승승장구).

today’s words

• 동상이몽 dongsangimong · same bed, different dreams (同床異夢)
• 막무가내 mangmuganae · stubbornly, no matter what (莫無可奈)
• 막상막하 maksangmakha · neck and neck, evenly matched
• 만장일치 manjangilchi · unanimity, unanimous agreement
• 명실상부 myeongsilsangbu · in name and in reality, truly
• 무궁무진 mugungmujin · inexhaustible, endless
• 무병장수 mubyeongjangsu · a long and healthy life
• 무용지물 muyongjimul · something useless (無用之物)
• 백년해로 baengnyeonhaero · growing old together (as a couple)
• 변화무쌍 byeonhwamussang · ever-changing, changeable
• 사면초가 samyeonchoga · besieged on all sides, cornered (四面楚歌)
• 사상누각 sasangnugak · a castle in the air (沙上樓閣)
• 사필귀정 sapilgwijeong · justice prevails in the end (事必歸正)
• 새옹지마 saeongjima · life’s ups and downs (塞翁之馬)
• 설상가상 seolsanggasang · one misfortune after another (雪上加霜)
• 속수무책 soksumuchaek · helpless, at a loss (束手無策)
• 승승장구 seungseungjanggu · going from win to win (乘勝長驅)
• 시기상조 sigisangjo · premature, too early (時機尙早)
• 시시각각 sisigakgak · from moment to moment
• 시종일관 sijongilgwan · from start to finish, consistently
• 시행착오 sihaengchago · trial and error
• 십시일반 sipsiilban · many small gifts make one big one (十匙一飯)
• 어부지리 eobujiri · a third party’s gain (漁夫之利)
• 역지사지 yeokjisaji · putting yourself in others’ shoes (易地思之)

sentences

• 양성평등을 위한 그 법안은 위원회에서 만장일치로 통과되었다. · The gender-equality bill passed the committee unanimously.
• 두 후보가 전투처럼 경쟁하지만 지지율은 막상막하이다. · The two candidates are fighting it out like a battle, but they are neck and neck in the polls.
• 두 회사가 싸우는 사이 작은 회사가 어부지리로 1위에 올랐다. · While the two big firms fought, a small one took first place: the third party profited.
• 안전을 경시했다는 잇따른 비판에 정부는 사면초가에 빠졌다. · Under a string of criticism for making light of safety, the government found itself besieged on all sides.
• 기초가 약한 계획은 사상누각에 불과하다. · A plan with weak foundations is nothing but a castle in the air.