눈코 뜰 새 없다
nunko tteul sae eopda
no time to open eyes or nose
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this when you're so busy you feel like you can't even blink or breathe for a second.
- Means: Being incredibly busy with no time to rest.
- Used in: Work deadlines, exam weeks, or hectic family events.
- Don't confuse: Don't use it for being 'slightly' busy; it's for extreme cases.
Explanation at your level:
मतलब
To be extremely busy, having no time for anything else or to rest.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
The 'Pali-pali' culture is deeply ingrained. Being busy is often seen as a sign of social importance and diligence. During the 'Chuseok' or 'Seollal' holidays, the phrase is used to describe the labor of women in the kitchen, highlighting traditional gender roles in labor. Japan shares a similar work ethic. While Korea uses 'eyes and nose', Japan uses 'spinning eyes'. Both cultures emphasize the physical manifestation of overwork, reflecting the high-pressure corporate environments of East Asia. In the US, 'hustle culture' is a modern equivalent. However, Americans might use 'I'm swamped' or 'I'm slammed'. The Korean idiom feels slightly more descriptive of the physical state of the person. German culture values efficiency. Being 'busy around the ears' suggests a high volume of communication and tasks, which aligns with the German emphasis on clear, constant professional coordination.
Use with '없이'
The most natural way to use this is as an adverb: '눈코 뜰 새 없이 바쁘다'.
Spelling Alert
Don't write '새' as '세'. '새' is the contraction of '사이'.
मतलब
To be extremely busy, having no time for anything else or to rest.
Use with '없이'
The most natural way to use this is as an adverb: '눈코 뜰 새 없이 바쁘다'.
Spelling Alert
Don't write '새' as '세'. '새' is the contraction of '사이'.
Empathy Tool
Use this to show empathy to a coworker who looks tired. It shows you recognize their hard work.
खुद को परखो
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
요즘 프로젝트 때문에 눈코 뜰 ___ 없어요.
'새' is the correct contraction of '사이' (time/gap).
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Choose the most natural sentence:
The idiom is used for people being busy during a high-activity event like a sale.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 이번 주말에 같이 등산 갈까요? 나: 미안해요. 이번 주에 마감이 많아서 ________________.
The speaker is giving a reason why they cannot go, using the present tense '없거든요'.
Match the situation to the phrase.
Which situation best fits '눈코 뜰 새 없다'?
This represents extreme, frantic busyness.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Busy vs. Swamped
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
10 सवालYes, but it still implies you are exhausted. Even if you are busy with a fun project, it means you have no time to rest.
No, it's a standard idiom. However, saying 'I'm too busy' to a boss's request should be done carefully. Use '눈코 뜰 새 없이 바빠서 그런데...' as a soft opener.
It's usually used for a current state or a general period. For the future, you'd say '내일은 눈코 뜰 새 없이 바쁠 것 같아요'.
It likely comes from fishing net terminology ('eyes' and 'noses' of the net), but modern Koreans think of it as not having time to blink or breathe.
'Bappayo' is just 'busy'. 'Nun-ko tteul sae eopda' is 'extremely, frantically busy'.
No, only for people or busy places.
Yes, it is a common Korean idiom used across the peninsula.
Technically yes, but it's almost never used. You would just say '한가해요' (I'm free).
No, it's a 'Gwan-yong-gu' (idiomatic phrase), not a 'Saja-seong-eo' (four-character hanja idiom).
It's very common in both! You'll see it in news headlines and hear it in casual conversation.
संबंधित मुहावरे
정신없다
similarTo be frantic/mindless
바쁘다
similarTo be busy
손이 모자라다
similarTo be short-handed
한가하다
contrastTo be at leisure
틈이 없다
similarTo have no gap/crack
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
At the Office
Manager: 김 대리님, 오늘 회의 준비 다 됐나요?
Employee: 죄송합니다. 오전부터 눈코 뜰 새 없이 바빠서 아직 못 했습니다.
Exam Week
Friend A: 오늘 저녁에 영화 볼래?
Friend B: 나 시험 기간이라 눈코 뜰 새 없어. 다음에 보자.
Moving House
Neighbor: 이사하시느라 고생이 많으시네요.
Person Moving: 네, 짐 정리하느라 정말 눈코 뜰 새 없네요.
Restaurant Rush
Customer: 여기 주문 좀 받아주세요!
Waiter: 잠시만요! 지금 눈코 뜰 새 없이 바빠서 금방 갈게요!
Wedding Prep
Sister: 결혼 준비는 잘 돼가?
Bride: 아니, 예약할 게 너무 많아서 눈코 뜰 새 없어.
New Parent
Friend: 애기 키우는 거 어때?
Parent: 말도 마. 기저귀 갈고 우유 주느라 눈코 뜰 새 없어.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a person so busy they can't even 'open' (tteul) their 'eyes' (nun) and 'nose' (ko).
Visual Association
Imagine a cartoon character with a mountain of paperwork, and their eyes and nose are literally taped shut because they don't have time to use them.
Rhyme
눈코 뜰 새 없이, 바빠서 정신없이! (Nun-ko tteul sae eopsi, bappaseo jeongsin-eopsi!)
Story
Min-su is a chef. During lunch, orders fly in. He is chopping onions (eyes watering) and smelling soup (nose working), but he is so busy he can't even stop to wipe his eyes or blow his nose. He has 'nun-ko tteul sae eopda'.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Try to use this phrase today when someone asks 'How are you?' (요즘 어때요?). Even if you aren't that busy, practice the conjugation!
In Other Languages
To be snowed under / Not have a moment to breathe
English focuses on the weight (snow) or survival (breath), while Korean focuses on facial orifices.
目が回るほど忙しい (Me ga mawaru hodo isogashii)
Japanese focuses on the feeling of dizziness, Korean on the lack of a time gap.
忙得不可开交 (Máng de bù kě kāi jiāo)
Chinese emphasizes being 'tied up' in work, whereas Korean emphasizes the 'lack of time'.
Estar hasta arriba de trabajo
Spanish focuses on the 'amount' of work filling a space, Korean on the 'time' for basic actions.
Avoir du pain sur la planche
French refers to the 'load' of work, Korean to the 'franticness' of the current moment.
Viel um die Ohren haben
German uses ears (auditory overload), Korean uses eyes and nose (visual/respiratory overload).
مشغول لشوشتي (Mashghul lashushiti)
Arabic uses the hair/head as a limit, Korean uses the eyes/nose as a functional limit.
Estar atarefado até ao pescoço
Portuguese uses the 'drowning' metaphor, Korean uses the 'no time for basic facial movement' metaphor.
Easily Confused
Both start with '눈' (eye).
Remember '높다' is high (high standards), while '뜰 새 없다' is about time.
Both involve facial features.
'코가 높다' means to be arrogant/proud.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (10)
Yes, but it still implies you are exhausted. Even if you are busy with a fun project, it means you have no time to rest.
No, it's a standard idiom. However, saying 'I'm too busy' to a boss's request should be done carefully. Use '눈코 뜰 새 없이 바빠서 그런데...' as a soft opener.
It's usually used for a current state or a general period. For the future, you'd say '내일은 눈코 뜰 새 없이 바쁠 것 같아요'.
It likely comes from fishing net terminology ('eyes' and 'noses' of the net), but modern Koreans think of it as not having time to blink or breathe.
'Bappayo' is just 'busy'. 'Nun-ko tteul sae eopda' is 'extremely, frantically busy'.
No, only for people or busy places.
Yes, it is a common Korean idiom used across the peninsula.
Technically yes, but it's almost never used. You would just say '한가해요' (I'm free).
No, it's a 'Gwan-yong-gu' (idiomatic phrase), not a 'Saja-seong-eo' (four-character hanja idiom).
It's very common in both! You'll see it in news headlines and hear it in casual conversation.
