번역되지 않는 말 · Hard to translate
눈치 nunchi
literally “eye-sense (눈 = eye)”
knowing what the room needs before anyone says it
English has tact, intuition and "reading the room", and each covers a piece. 눈치 is the whole skill at once: noticing a pause, guessing what it means and acting on the guess before anyone has said a word. Koreans say a person has it or has none, the way you would talk about an ear for music.
The closest English
“tact”
Tact is about what you say. 눈치 starts before anyone speaks.
“reading the room”
Close, but it is something you do. 눈치 is something you have, or lack, like an ear for music.
“intuition”
Intuition can be about anything. 눈치 is always about people and what they leave unsaid.
In a sentence
소리쌤은 제가 눈치가 없는 편이래요. 그래도 오늘은 범인을 꼭 찾을 거예요.
Sori-ssaem says I'm not very good at reading situations. Still, today I'm going to find the culprit.
Hoya says it
Hoya
소리쌤이 추워 보이셔서 창문을 닫았어요. 저 눈치 있죠?
You looked cold, so I shut the window. I've got nunchi, right?
Would your friends say you have 눈치, or that you have none?
눈치 is one of the seven word wallpapers for launch-list members.