Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this to describe someone who acts shamelessly or has no sense of embarrassment even after doing something wrong.
- Means: Being brazen or shameless in social situations.
- Used in: Criticizing someone who ignores social norms or feelings.
- Don't confuse: Not the same as 'brave' or 'confident'—it's usually negative.
شرح بمستواك:
المعنى
To be shameless or brazen; to have no sense of embarrassment.
خلفية ثقافية
In Korea, 'face' (Chemyeon) is a collective asset. Being called 'thick-skinned' implies you were raised poorly or lack basic human empathy (Inseong). While '얼굴이 두껍다' is negative, some career advice suggests having a 'thick face' to survive office politics, though they usually use the term 'mentally strong' instead. Villains in K-dramas are often described as 'Cheol-myeon-pi' (iron-faced) when they commit crimes and show no remorse in court. Confucianism emphasizes 'Ye' (etiquette). A thick face is the opposite of 'Ye,' as it shows a lack of self-reflection and shame.
Direct Insult
Calling someone '얼굴이 두껍다' to their face is a fight-starter. Use it carefully.
The '도' Trick
Add '도' (얼굴도 두껍다) to sound more like a native speaker when expressing disbelief at someone's audacity.
Direct Insult
Calling someone '얼굴이 두껍다' to their face is a fight-starter. Use it carefully.
The '도' Trick
Add '도' (얼굴도 두껍다) to sound more like a native speaker when expressing disbelief at someone's audacity.
Blushing is Good
In Korea, showing that you are embarrassed (face turning red) is often seen as a sign of a good, honest heart.
اختبر نفسك
Choose the most natural phrase to complete the sentence.
거짓말을 하고도 사과하지 않는 저 사람은 정말 ( ).
The context of lying and not apologizing requires the idiom for 'shameless.'
Match the situation to the phrase.
Situation: Someone cuts in line at the bus stop and ignores everyone.
Cutting in line is a classic 'shameless' behavior.
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '두껍다'.
그는 얼굴이 ( ) 남의 시선을 전혀 신경 쓰지 않아요.
The sentence shows a cause (shamelessness) and effect (not caring about others), so '-아서/어서' is needed.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 저 사람 또 돈 빌려달래. B: 와, 진짜 ( ).
Asking for money repeatedly is a shameless act.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
Thick vs. Wide Face
بنك التمارين
5 تمارين거짓말을 하고도 사과하지 않는 저 사람은 정말 ( ).
The context of lying and not apologizing requires the idiom for 'shameless.'
Situation: Someone cuts in line at the bus stop and ignores everyone.
Cutting in line is a classic 'shameless' behavior.
그는 얼굴이 ( ) 남의 시선을 전혀 신경 쓰지 않아요.
The sentence shows a cause (shamelessness) and effect (not caring about others), so '-아서/어서' is needed.
A: 저 사람 또 돈 빌려달래. B: 와, 진짜 ( ).
Asking for money repeatedly is a shameless act.
🎉 النتيجة: /5
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةAlmost never. It implies a lack of moral fiber. Use '강심장' (strong heart) for someone who is brave.
'얼굴이 두껍다' is an idiom (figurative), while '뻔뻔하다' is a standard adjective. They mean the same thing.
No, that would be '낯을 안 가리다' (not hiding one's face).
Use '회복탄력성이 좋다' (good resilience) or '남의 시선을 신경 쓰지 않는다' (doesn't care about others' gaze).
It's a bit dramatic for daily speech. It's usually used for public figures or extreme cases.
'얼굴이 얇다' is not really used. The opposite is '낯을 가리다' (shy) or '부끄러움을 많이 타다' (easily embarrassed).
No, it has nothing to do with how someone looks.
Yes, if you are joking about asking for a big favor: '제가 좀 얼굴이 두껍지만, 이것 좀 도와주실 수 있나요?'
No, it's a standard idiom found in dictionaries.
Because thick skin hides the blood (shame) from showing on the surface.
عبارات ذات صلة
뻔뻔하다
synonymTo be shameless
철면피
specialized formIron-faced skin
낯이 뜨겁다
contrastTo feel embarrassed/face is hot
얼굴을 들 수 없다
contrastCannot lift one's face
염치 없다
similarTo have no sense of honor/shame
أين تستخدمها
Borrowing money
A: 철수야, 지난번에 빌린 돈은 언제 갚을 거야?
B: 아, 맞다. 근데 나 오늘 밥 좀 사주면 안 돼?
A: (혼잣말로) 와, 진짜 얼굴 두껍네...
Translation: A: Chul-soo, when are you paying back the money? B: Oh right. But can you buy me lunch today? A: (To self) Wow, he's really shameless...
Workplace credit
Manager: 김 대리, 이번 프로젝트 아주 잘했어!
Kim: 감사합니다. 제가 밤새워 준비했습니다. (사실은 이 대리가 다 함)
Lee: 저 사람 정말 얼굴이 두껍군요.
Translation: Manager: Mr. Kim, great job! Kim: Thanks, I worked all night. (Actually Lee did it). Lee: He is truly shameless.
Cutting in line
Person A: 저기요, 줄 서신 거예요? 왜 새치기하세요?
Person B: (못 들은 척 핸드폰만 본다)
Person A: 얼굴이 참 두꺼우시네요.
Translation: A: Excuse me, are you in line? Why are you cutting? B: (Pretends not to hear). A: You are quite shameless.
Dating/Exes
Ex: 자니? 나 노트북 좀 빌려줄 수 있어?
Me: 헤어진 지 일주일 됐는데... 너 진짜 얼굴 두껍다.
Translation: Ex: You up? Can I borrow your laptop? Me: It's been a week since we broke up... You're really shameless.
Restaurant complaint
Customer: 머리카락이 나왔는데 그냥 먹으라고요?
Owner: 그럴 수도 있죠. 그냥 빼고 드세요.
Customer: 사장님 참 얼굴 두껍게 장사하시네요.
Translation: C: There's a hair, and you want me to just eat? O: It happens. Just take it out. C: You're running this business quite shamelessly.
Family favors
Brother: 형, 나 형 차 좀 일주일만 빌려줘.
Me: 지난번에 사고 내고 수리비도 안 냈잖아. 얼굴이 두껍기도 해라.
Translation: Bro: Bro, lend me your car for a week. Me: You didn't even pay for the repairs after the last accident. You've got some nerve.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Think of a 'Thick' wall on a face that blocks the 'Red' of shame from showing through.
ربط بصري
Imagine someone wearing a thick, grey stone mask. No matter how much they lie, you can't see them blush because the 'skin' is too thick.
Rhyme
얼굴이 두껍다, 부끄럼 없다! (Eolguri dukkeopda, bukkeoreom eopda! - Face is thick, no shame!)
Story
Min-su borrowed his friend's car, scratched it, and then asked his friend to pay for the gas. His friend looked at him and thought, 'His facial skin must be 10 centimeters thick!' because Min-su didn't look sorry at all.
In Other Languages
In English, we say 'thick-skinned,' but it's often positive. In Chinese and Japanese, the idioms are nearly identical in meaning and structure.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Try to find one character in a K-drama today who acts '얼굴이 두껍다' and describe their action in one sentence.
Review this phrase whenever you see someone being 'bold' in a negative way on the news.
النطق
The 'l' sound in 'eol' is a light flap, and 'i' attaches smoothly.
The 'kk' is a tense/double consonant. The final 'p' is unreleased, making the following 'd' sound like 'tt'.
طيف الرسمية
그는 참으로 철면피 {鐵面皮|철면피} 같은 사람입니다. (Describing someone's character)
그 사람은 정말 얼굴이 두껍네요. (Describing someone's character)
걔 진짜 얼굴 두꺼워. (Describing someone's character)
낯짝 진짜 두껍네. (Describing someone's character)
Derived from the observation that people who feel shame blush (blood flows to the face). If the skin were 'thick,' the redness wouldn't show, symbolizing a lack of internal shame.
حقيقة ممتعة
There is a famous book in East Asian business circles called 'Thick Face, Black Heart' which tries to turn this negative idiom into a strategy for success.
ملاحظات ثقافية
In Korea, 'face' (Chemyeon) is a collective asset. Being called 'thick-skinned' implies you were raised poorly or lack basic human empathy (Inseong).
“부모님 얼굴에 먹칠하다 (To smear ink on parents' faces/bring shame to family).”
While '얼굴이 두껍다' is negative, some career advice suggests having a 'thick face' to survive office politics, though they usually use the term 'mentally strong' instead.
“사회생활 하려면 얼굴이 좀 두꺼워져야 해.”
Villains in K-dramas are often described as 'Cheol-myeon-pi' (iron-faced) when they commit crimes and show no remorse in court.
“드라마 속 악역은 정말 얼굴이 두꺼워요.”
Confucianism emphasizes 'Ye' (etiquette). A thick face is the opposite of 'Ye,' as it shows a lack of self-reflection and shame.
“염치 {廉恥|염치}를 알다 (To know shame).”
بدايات محادثة
주변에 정말 얼굴이 두꺼운 사람이 있나요?
어떤 행동이 가장 얼굴 두꺼운 행동이라고 생각하세요?
얼굴이 두꺼워야 성공할 수 있다는 말에 동의하세요?
أخطاء شائعة
얼굴이 뚱뚱하다
얼굴이 두껍다
L1 Interference
Using it as a compliment for resilience.
멘탈이 강하다 / 당당하다
L1 Interference
얼굴이 넓다
얼굴이 두껍다
L1 Interference
얼굴이 두꺼워요 (to a boss)
None (don't say this to a boss)
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
To be shameless / To have the audacity
Korean is negative; English can be positive.
面の皮が厚い (Tsura no kawa ga atsui)
Almost no difference; perfectly interchangeable.
厚脸皮 (Hòuliǎnpí)
Identical usage.
Tener la cara dura
Spanish uses 'hard' (dura) instead of 'thick' (dukkeopda).
Avoir du toupet
French uses a hair metaphor instead of skin thickness.
Ein dickes Fell haben
German 'thick' is positive; Korean 'thick' is negative.
وجهه عريض (Wajhuhu 'areed)
Arabic uses 'wide' (areed) instead of 'thick'.
Cara de pau
Portuguese uses 'wood' as the material for the face.
Spotted in the Real World
“넌 어쩜 그렇게 얼굴이 두껍니?”
Dong-eun says this to Park Yeon-jin when Yeon-jin shows no remorse for her past bullying.
“광수야, 너 진짜 얼굴 두껍다!”
Said when Lee Kwang-soo betrays his teammates for the hundredth time.
“정치권의 철면피 행태에 국민들 분노”
Reporting on a politician who refused to resign after a scandal.
“얼굴 두껍게 철판 깔아”
Lyrics about being confident and not caring about haters.
سهل الخلط
Both involve the face and an adjective of size/dimension.
Wide (넓다) = many friends (Good). Thick (두껍다) = no shame (Bad).
Both start with a word for face.
익다 (familiar) means you've seen the person before. It has nothing to do with personality.
الأسئلة الشائعة (10)
Almost never. It implies a lack of moral fiber. Use '강심장' (strong heart) for someone who is brave.
usage contexts'얼굴이 두껍다' is an idiom (figurative), while '뻔뻔하다' is a standard adjective. They mean the same thing.
basic understandingNo, that would be '낯을 안 가리다' (not hiding one's face).
common mistakesUse '회복탄력성이 좋다' (good resilience) or '남의 시선을 신경 쓰지 않는다' (doesn't care about others' gaze).
comparisonsIt's a bit dramatic for daily speech. It's usually used for public figures or extreme cases.
usage contexts'얼굴이 얇다' is not really used. The opposite is '낯을 가리다' (shy) or '부끄러움을 많이 타다' (easily embarrassed).
basic understandingNo, it has nothing to do with how someone looks.
basic understandingYes, if you are joking about asking for a big favor: '제가 좀 얼굴이 두껍지만, 이것 좀 도와주실 수 있나요?'
practical tipsNo, it's a standard idiom found in dictionaries.
grammar mechanicsBecause thick skin hides the blood (shame) from showing on the surface.
cultural usage
