Concept · Society
Nunchi
In plain English
The practised ability to read a room: to gauge others' mood and standing quickly and adjust what you say and do accordingly. Commonly appraised in Korean as something a person has much or little of.
Literally
From 눈 (“eye”) with a suffix, attested in Early Modern Korean as 눈츼. A native Korean formation — not, as is often repeated, the Sino-Korean compound 眼勢.
Commonly mistaken for
Not simply politeness or shyness. Nunchi is an evaluative social skill, and having none (눈치가 없다) is a specific criticism rather than a general comment on manners.
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Korean
· ·
nunchi; to have no nunchi; to read the room / watch for cues
Related
- Honne and tatemae — 本音・建前
Sources
- 표준국어대사전, 국립국어원 — 「남의 마음을 그때그때 상황으로 미루어 알아내는 것」
- 국립국어원 온라인가나다 on the derivation of 눈치 from 눈츼
- 허재홍·박원주, 「눈치척도 개발 및 타당화」, 상담학연구 14(6), 2013
Review status. Sources verified against primary references, 1 August 2026.