눈치 What does 눈치 mean in Korean?
Meaning
Reading the room: quietly picking up on how people feel and what they want, without anyone saying it.
In Korea, 눈치 is a real social skill. Someone with good 눈치 knows when to speak, when to stay quiet and when it’s time to leave.
Why it matters
The word contains 눈 (eye), which fits: 눈치 is about noticing what isn’t said out loud. It comes up at work, in families and between friends, and calling someone 눈치 없다 (clueless) is a common complaint.
Examples
눈치 보지 말고 편하게 먹어.
Don’t worry about what anyone thinks, just eat comfortably.
A: 지금 말해도 될까?
B: 눈치 좀 챙겨. 분위기 안 좋아. A: Should I bring it up now?
B: Read the room. The mood isn’t great.
B: 눈치 좀 챙겨. 분위기 안 좋아. A: Should I bring it up now?
B: Read the room. The mood isn’t great.
그는 눈치가 없어서 계속 농담했어.
He couldn’t read the mood, so he kept making jokes.
Grammar tip
눈치 is a noun that combines with a handful of verbs. These four cover most real-life uses.
눈치가 빠르다 · quick to read the room눈치가 없다 · clueless about the mood눈치를 보다 · to worry about others’ reactions눈치채다 · to notice, catch on
Check yourself
Someone who is 눈치가 없다…