[Korean Culture & Language] 눈치 in different contexts



Do you remember that 눈치 is crucial to do a good 사회생활? 눈치 can have different meanings depending on the context, though. When you walk on eggshells around your boss, you say “상사의 눈치를 본다”. If you want to say “I always have to walk on eggshells around your girlfriend,” you say “나는 항상 여자친구의 눈치를 봐야해”. Both of them have the verb “보다,” which originally means “to see”. Some people even think that puppies 눈치 본다.


https://www.wikitree.co.kr/articles/542904

눈치 has a completely different meaning when it’s combined with the verb “채다”. The word ’채다’ is usually used to mean “snatching”. In Korean, you can “채다” someone’s feelings, facts, situations, thoughts, and intentions. “눈치채다” means “to realize,” “to find out,” or “to notice”. For example, You can say “엄마가 우리 거짓말 눈치 챈 것 같아” for “I think mom found out mom found out we lied”.

The meme above reads:

Middle schooler: I used to be happy when I was in elementary school;

High schooler: I used to be happy when I was in middle school;

College student: I used to be happy when I was in high school;

Employee: I used to be happy when I was a student;

Retiree: I used to be happy when I was an employee;

Elderly: I used to be happy when I was younger;

Have you noticed…

that you have always been happy throughout your whole life?

You would have 눈치채다 by now what the second to last statement(“이제 눈치채셨나요?”) means.

You can also give 눈치: “눈치를 주다”.

Ex) “상사가 일 그만두라고 자꾸 눈치를 줘” = “My boss has been dropping hints that I should quit”

“걔한테 내가 좋아한다는 눈치를 몇 번 줬어” = “I've been dropping hints that I like him/her”

Even if you have already 눈치를 주다, but the other person doesn’t get it, you say that the person doesn’t have 눈치: “눈치가 없다”.

Ex) “내가 눈치를 몇 번이나 줬는데 좋아하는 걸 모르지? 정말 눈치가 없어!” = “I’ve been dropping hints that I like him. How can he not take the hint? he is really bad at taking hints.

Below meme is titled “A boyfriend who is really bad at taking hints”

I went for dinner with my boyfriend’s parents. My boyfriend kept putting food on my plate. I winked at him to signal him that he should stop. He thought I was flirting with him, got excited, and brought the whole plate over to me.

Which 눈치 can you relate to most? Are you the one who 눈치 보다 around someone, 눈치 채다 quickly, 눈치 주다 to someone, or a 눈치 없는 person?





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