곁눈질
The English phrase 'side eye' is 곁눈질 in Korean.
곁눈질 describes the physical act of looking at something out of the corner of one's eye. It can also refer to giving a suspicious or judgmental look.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 곁 (side) and 눈질 (the act of using eyes/glancing).
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 'side eye' as a verb, you must add the verb 하다 (to do) to the noun 곁눈질, forming 곁눈질을 하다 (to give a side eye / to glance sideways).
Did you know?
- In Korean social dynamics, 곁눈질 is often linked to the concept of 눈치 (nunchi), the art of sensing others' moods. A person might use a 'side eye' to subtly gauge the room's atmosphere without making direct, confrontational eye contact.
- While 곁눈질 describes a physical glance, if you are looking at someone because you are greedy or covetous, you might use the term 눈독을 들이다 instead.
- In traditional Korean etiquette, prolonged direct eye contact could be seen as aggressive or disrespectful. Consequently, 곁눈질 was historically a safer way to observe someone without appearing challenging.
Examples in context
- 그녀는 나를 곁눈질했다.geunyeoneun nareul gyeotnunjilhaetda.She gave me a side eye.
- 그가 곁눈질을 하며 웃었다.geuga gyeotnunjireul hamyeo useotda.He smiled while giving a side eye.
- 민준이는 곁눈질로 나를 쳐다봤다.minjunineun gyeotnunjillo nareul chyeodabwatda.Minjun looked at me with a side eye.
Example conversation
Subin notices Minjun looking at her suspiciously.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨, 왜 자꾸 곁눈질해요?Minjun ssi, wae jakku gyetnun-jil-haeyo?Minjun, why do you keep giving me side eye?
- 민준 Min-jun아니에요, 그냥 궁금해서 그랬어요.anieyo, geunyang gung-geum-haeseo geuraesseoyo.No, I was just curious.
- 수빈 Su-bin표정이 너무 수상한데요.pyojeongi neomu susanghandeyo.Your expression looks very suspicious.
- 민준 Min-jun미안해요, 이제 안 그럴게요.mianhaeyo, ije an geureolgeyo.I'm sorry, I won't do it anymore.
