A1 Idiom तटस्थ

눈 감아주다

nun gamajuda

close one's eyes for someone

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A friendly way to say 'let it slide' or 'overlook a mistake' by metaphorically closing your eyes.

Means: To intentionally ignore a small mistake or rule-breaking.
Used in: Workplace errors, minor social faux pas, or sibling secrets.
Don't confuse: With literally sleeping or being blind.

🙈 (Mistake) + 🤝 (Kindness) = 눈 감아주다

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means 'to forgive a small mistake.' It comes from '눈' (eye) and '감다' (close). When you close your eyes, you don't see the mistake. Use it when you want to ask someone to be kind and ignore your error. It is very common in daily Korean.

In Korean, '눈 감아주다' is an idiom used when someone decides not to punish or mention a fault. The '-주다' part shows that this is a favor for another person. You can use it with friends or at work for small things like being late or making a typo.

This idiom functions as a social mechanism to maintain harmony. By 'closing one's eyes,' a person intentionally ignores a breach of rules or an error. It's less formal than '용서하다' and implies a specific situation where someone 'lets it slide.' It's frequently used in requests like '이번만 눈 감아주세요.'

Beyond simple forgiveness, '눈 감아주다' reflects the nuances of Korean interpersonal dynamics. It often involves a superior showing leniency to a subordinate to preserve their 'face' (Chemyeon). While generally positive in personal contexts, in professional or legal contexts, it can imply a problematic lack of accountability or '묵인' (tacit approval).

Linguistically, '눈 감아주다' is a metaphorical extension of visual perception to moral judgment. The act of closing one's eyes symbolizes a voluntary suspension of critical evaluation. This idiom is a key component of 'Nunchi' culture, where social actors are expected to discern when to apply strict rules and when to exercise 'Jeong-based' leniency for the sake of group cohesion.

The idiom '눈 감아주다' serves as a fascinating case study in cognitive linguistics, where the 'SEEING IS JUDGING' metaphor is negated to represent 'FORGIVENESS.' It operates within a complex web of Confucian values, balancing 'Uiri' (loyalty) and 'Beop' (law). Mastery involves understanding the subtle boundary between a benevolent 'favor' and the ethically ambiguous 'collusion' often depicted in socio-political discourse.

मतलब

To overlook a mistake or fault, to pretend not to see it or forgive it.

🌍

सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि

The phrase is deeply tied to 'Chemyeon' (face). Overlooking a mistake allows the other person to keep their dignity, which is vital in a hierarchical society. In Korean companies, '눈 감아주다' can be a double-edged sword. It builds loyalty but can also lead to systemic issues if major errors are ignored. Modern Koreans are increasingly sensitive to '눈 감아주다' when it involves the wealthy or powerful, often calling it 'unprivileged' or 'unfair'. Parents often use this phrase to show 'Jeong' (affection) to their children, teaching them that while rules exist, mercy is also a virtue.

💡

Use with '한 번만'

Adding '한 번만' (just once) makes your plea for mercy sound much more sincere and desperate.

⚠️

Don't use for serious things

Using this for a major crime can make you sound like you are asking for a corrupt favor.

मतलब

To overlook a mistake or fault, to pretend not to see it or forgive it.

💡

Use with '한 번만'

Adding '한 번만' (just once) makes your plea for mercy sound much more sincere and desperate.

⚠️

Don't use for serious things

Using this for a major crime can make you sound like you are asking for a corrupt favor.

🎯

The power of '-주다'

Always remember the '-주다' part. It's what turns a physical action into a social favor.

💬

Nunchi and Leniency

If someone overlooks your mistake without you asking, they are showing great 'Nunchi'. Thank them later!

खुद को परखो

Fill in the blank with the correct form of '눈 감아주다'.

선생님, 이번 한 번만 (______) 주세요.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: 눈 감아

The request form is '눈 감아주세요'. Since '주세요' is already there, we need the '-아/어' form of the main verb.

Which situation is most appropriate for '눈 감아주다'?

When would you say '눈 감아주세요'?

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: When you made a small mistake and don't want to get in trouble.

The idiom is used for overlooking faults or mistakes.

Complete the dialogue.

A: 지각했네요? 벌점 1점입니다. B: 아, 죄송합니다. 이번만 (______).

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: 눈 감아주세요

B is asking for a favor to overlook the lateness.

Match the phrase to the meaning.

Match '눈 감아주다' with its figurative meaning.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: To ignore a mistake

The figurative meaning is to overlook or ignore a fault.

🎉 स्कोर: /4

विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स

Leniency Levels

Informal

봐주다 Let slide

Idiomatic

눈 감아주다 Overlook

Formal

용서하다 Forgive

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल

12 सवाल

It depends on the ending. '눈 감아주세요' is polite, but the act of asking for a favor can be sensitive depending on your relationship.

Yes, if you made a minor mistake, you can say '이번만 눈 감아주세요' as a humble request.

'봐주다' is more common and casual. '눈 감아주다' is slightly more idiomatic and descriptive.

No, it means you *know* about the mistake but choose to ignore it.

Yes, in stories, news, and scripts, but less so in formal academic papers.

Usually, it's for something 'bad' (a mistake) that is being treated with kindness.

The opposite is '지적하다' (to point out) or '꼬투리를 잡다' (to nitpick).

You can say '나 자신에게 눈 감아주다' (to be easy on oneself), but it's less common.

No, it's a standard idiom that everyone in Korea knows.

You say '눈 감아줬어요'.

Only '눈을 감다' (without '주다') is a euphemism for dying.

The phrase itself is native, but the concept is related to {容恕|용서} (forgiveness).

कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें

⏰

Arriving late to a meeting

Employee: 부장님, 차가 너무 막혀서 늦었습니다. 이번 한 번만 눈 감아주세요.

Manager: 알겠어요. 다음부터는 일찍 출발하세요.

formal

🏺

Sibling breaking something

Brother: 누나, 내가 화분 깼어. 엄마한테 비밀로 하고 눈 감아주면 안 돼?

Sister: 그럼 내 방 청소 일주일 동안 해.

informal

😴

Teacher finding a student sleeping

Student A: 지수가 수업 시간에 자고 있어요.

Teacher: 어제 늦게까지 공부했나 보구나. 이번엔 그냥 눈 감아주자.

neutral

💸

Friend forgetting a small debt

Friend A: 아, 커피값 주는 거 깜빡했다!

Friend B: 괜찮아. 그 정도는 그냥 눈 감아줄게.

informal

⌨️

Reporting a minor typo

Colleague A: 여기 오타가 하나 있네요.

Colleague B: 큰 문제는 아니니까 그냥 눈 감아주고 넘어갑시다.

neutral

👮

A police officer giving a warning

Driver: 죄송합니다, 경찰관님. 급한 일이 있어서 속도를 좀 냈습니다.

Officer: 위험하니까 이번만 눈 감아드릴 테니 조심하세요.

formal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a referee closing their eyes (눈 감다) just as a player makes a tiny foul to let the game continue smoothly.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant, friendly eye with a curtain being pulled over it, hiding a small broken vase behind the curtain.

Rhyme

실수는 눈 감아, 마음은 다 잡아 (Overlook the mistake, pull your heart together).

Story

Min-su broke his mom's favorite cup. His older sister saw it but decided to 'close her eyes' (눈 감아주다) because Min-su promised to do her homework for a week. The cup stayed a secret, and the 'eyes stayed closed' until the next holiday.

Word Web

눈 (Eye)감다 (To close)주다 (To give/do for)실수 (Mistake)용서 (Forgiveness)봐주다 (To let slide)비밀 (Secret)은혜 (Grace/Favor)

चैलेंज

Try to find one small mistake a friend or colleague makes today and tell yourself '눈 감아주자' (Let's overlook it) instead of pointing it out.

In Other Languages

English high

To turn a blind eye

The Korean version emphasizes the 'favor' aspect via '-주다'.

Japanese high

目をつぶる (Me o tsuburu)

Grammatically, Korean uses the auxiliary 'give' verb more frequently.

Chinese moderate

睁一只眼闭一只眼 (Zhēng yīzhī yǎn bì yīzhī yǎn)

The Chinese idiom specifically mentions keeping one eye open.

Spanish moderate

Hacer la vista gorda

The Spanish metaphor uses 'fat sight' rather than 'closed eyes'.

French high

Fermer les yeux sur quelque chose

French uses the preposition 'sur' (on).

German high

Ein Auge zudrücken

Specifies 'one eye' and the action of 'pressing' it shut.

Arabic moderate

غض الطرف (Ghaddu al-tarf)

Focuses on 'lowering' the gaze rather than 'closing' the eyes.

Portuguese high

Fechar os olhos

Lacks the specific 'doing a favor' grammatical nuance of Korean.

Easily Confused

눈 감아주다 बनाम 눈을 감다

Learners think it always means to overlook something.

Without '-주다', it usually means the physical act of closing eyes or, figuratively, to die.

눈 감아주다 बनाम 눈에 밟히다

Both involve '눈' (eye) and a verb.

'눈에 밟히다' means to keep thinking about someone/something you miss, not to forgive.

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (12)