눈치
Korean edit
Etymology edit
First attested in the Yeogeo yuhae (譯語類解 / 역어유해), 1690, as Early Modern Korean 눈츼 (Yale: nwunchuy). From 눈 (nun, “eye”), with some unknown suffix.
Pronunciation edit
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [nuɲt͡ɕʰi]
- Phonetic hangul: [눈치]
| Romanizations | |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization? | nunchi |
| Revised Romanization (translit.)? | nunchi |
| McCune–Reischauer? | nunch'i |
| Yale Romanization? | nwun.chi |
South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 눈치의 / 눈치에 / 눈치까지
Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch on both syllables, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.
Noun edit
눈치 • (nunchi)
- one's ability to sense what are the correct/wrong things to do in a situation
- one's state of mind inferred from the facial expressions; hint given with the eyes