Korean Culture & Customs

눈치

nun-chi

social radar

눈치 is the prized skill of reading a room — sensing others' moods and unspoken needs and acting accordingly. To have 눈치 is to be socially sharp; to lack it (눈치 없다) is a real criticism in Korean life.

Examples

Korean	English
그는 눈치가 빨라서 분위기를 잘 맞춰요. geu-neun nun-chi-ga ppallaseo bunwigireul jal matchwoyo.	He's quick to read the room, so he fits the mood well.

한입 Hannip — learn Korean one bite a day

This entry (and hundreds more) is in the Hannip app with native pronunciation, quizzes and translations in English, 한국어, 日本語, 中文, Tiếng Việt and ไทย.

Start learning free →