눈 코 뜰 새 없다
nun ko tteul sae eopda
Extremely busy
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this when you are so busy that you feel like you can't even take a second to breathe or blink.
- Means: Being extremely busy with no spare time at all.
- Used in: Work deadlines, exam weeks, or busy restaurant shifts.
- Don't confuse: It's not about physical pain in eyes or nose.
Explanation at your level:
मतलब
Having absolutely no spare time due to a heavy workload or schedule.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
The 'Pali-pali' (hurry-hurry) culture makes this idiom one of the most frequently used in daily life. Koreans often value showing that they are busy as a sign of importance or diligence. In Korean companies, saying you are '눈 코 뜰 새 없다' is a common way to build rapport with colleagues, acknowledging the shared struggle of a heavy workload. Historically, this phrase was literal for farmers who couldn't stop to wipe sweat or dust from their eyes during the short harvest window. On Instagram or blogs, people use the hashtag #눈코뜰새없음 to show off their productive (or exhausting) days.
Use with '바쁘다'
While '눈 코 뜰 새 없다' can stand alone, it is most frequently paired with '바쁘다' (to be busy).
Don't use for 'Sleepy'
Even though it mentions opening eyes, it never means being tired or sleepy.
मतलब
Having absolutely no spare time due to a heavy workload or schedule.
Use with '바쁘다'
While '눈 코 뜰 새 없다' can stand alone, it is most frequently paired with '바쁘다' (to be busy).
Don't use for 'Sleepy'
Even though it mentions opening eyes, it never means being tired or sleepy.
Texting Shortcut
In casual texts, you can just write '눈코뜰새없음' to sound like a busy professional.
Humility
Sometimes people say this even if they aren't *that* busy, just to avoid sounding lazy.
खुद को परखो
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
요즘 프로젝트 마감이라서 (______) 바빠요.
The standard adverbial form is '눈 코 뜰 새 없이'.
Which situation best fits the phrase '눈 코 뜰 새 없다'?
어떤 상황에서 이 표현을 쓸까요?
The phrase means being extremely busy with no spare time.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
가: 주말에 같이 영화 볼래? 나: 미안, 이번 주말에 이사하느라 (______).
Moving house (이사) is a very busy activity, making the idiom appropriate.
Match the phrase to the correct meaning.
눈 코 뜰 새 없다
It is a classic Korean idiom for extreme busyness.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Busy vs. Extremely Busy
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
10 सवालNo, it's perfectly fine for friends. Just use the informal ending '눈 코 뜰 새 없어'.
Yes! '우리 선생님은 눈 코 뜰 새 없이 바쁘셔.' is a great sentence.
It is a contraction of '사이', which means 'interval' or 'space between'.
It's a hyperbolic way to include the whole face/breathing, emphasizing total focus.
A more modern slang for being busy is '혐생' (hyeom-saeng), meaning 'hateful/exhausting life,' but '눈 코 뜰 새 없다' is much more polite.
Yes, like a restaurant having many customers. It doesn't always have to be negative.
Yes, it's a standard professional idiom. '눈 코 뜰 새 없이 바쁘신 와중에...' is a common opening.
No, it's purely figurative. You can still blink!
It's a tensed 't' sound. Try to make a 't' sound without letting much air out.
No, that is not a standard expression. Use '여유가 있다' instead.
संबंधित मुहावरे
정신없다
similarTo be hectic/mindless
손이 모자라다
specialized formTo be short-handed
바쁘다
synonymTo be busy
한가하다
contrastTo be free/leisurely
눈코 뜰 새 없이
builds onBusily
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
At the Office
Manager: 김 대리님, 오늘 점심 같이 할까요?
Employee: 죄송합니다. 보고서 때문에 눈 코 뜰 새 없이 바빠서요.
University Library
Friend A: 시험 공부 다 했어?
Friend B: 아니, 범위가 너무 많아서 눈 코 뜰 새 없어.
Busy Restaurant
Customer: 여기 주문 좀 받아주세요!
Server: 잠시만요! 지금 눈 코 뜰 새 없이 바빠서 금방 갈게요!
Family Gathering
Grandma: 요즘 왜 이렇게 얼굴 보기 힘드니?
Grandson: 취업 준비하느라 눈 코 뜰 새 없이 지냈어요. 죄송해요.
Texting (Kakaotalk)
Friend: 야, 왜 답장이 없어?
Me: 미안! 아까 눈 코 뜰 새 없이 바빴어 ㅠㅠ
Job Interview
Interviewer: 본인의 성실함을 보여준 사례가 있나요?
Applicant: 인턴 시절, 눈 코 뜰 새 없이 바쁜 프로젝트를 성공적으로 마친 적이 있습니다.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine a person so busy typing that if they blink (open eyes) or sneeze (open nose), their computer will explode!
Visual Association
A cartoon character with eight arms, holding a phone, a laptop, a coffee, and a baby, with their eyes taped wide open.
Rhyme
눈 코 뜰 새 없이, 바빠서 정신 없이!
Story
Min-su is a star employee. One day, his boss gives him 100 reports. Min-su works so hard he forgets to blink. His eyes get dry, and his nose gets stuffy, but he says, 'I have no time to open them!' He is truly 눈 코 뜰 새 없다.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Try to use this phrase today when someone asks 'How are you?' (어떻게 지내요?).
In Other Languages
No time to breathe / Up to my neck
English focuses on breathing, Korean focuses on eyes and nose.
No tener tiempo ni para respirar
Spanish is more likely to use 'respirar' (breathe) than facial features.
Ne plus savoir où donner de la tête
French emphasizes the 'chaos' while Korean emphasizes the 'lack of time'.
Viel um die Ohren haben
German uses ears; Korean uses eyes and nose.
目が回るほど忙しい
Japanese focuses on dizziness; Korean focuses on the inability to even open the eyes.
مشغول لدرجة لا توصف
Arabic is more abstract; Korean is more physical/visual.
忙得不可开交
Chinese focuses on being 'stuck' to the work; Korean focuses on the 'gap' in time.
Não ter tempo nem para coçar a cabeça
Portuguese uses 'scratching the head'; Korean uses 'opening eyes/nose'.
Easily Confused
Learners might think it just means 'to wake up' or 'to open eyes.'
If '코' (nose) and '새 없다' are missing, it's just a physical action.
Both involve the nose.
'코가 높다' means to be arrogant/proud, nothing to do with being busy.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (10)
No, it's perfectly fine for friends. Just use the informal ending '눈 코 뜰 새 없어'.
Yes! '우리 선생님은 눈 코 뜰 새 없이 바쁘셔.' is a great sentence.
It is a contraction of '사이', which means 'interval' or 'space between'.
It's a hyperbolic way to include the whole face/breathing, emphasizing total focus.
A more modern slang for being busy is '혐생' (hyeom-saeng), meaning 'hateful/exhausting life,' but '눈 코 뜰 새 없다' is much more polite.
Yes, like a restaurant having many customers. It doesn't always have to be negative.
Yes, it's a standard professional idiom. '눈 코 뜰 새 없이 바쁘신 와중에...' is a common opening.
No, it's purely figurative. You can still blink!
It's a tensed 't' sound. Try to make a 't' sound without letting much air out.
No, that is not a standard expression. Use '여유가 있다' instead.
