Meaning
To deliberately ignore something or someone, feigning ignorance.
Cultural Background
The concept of 'Chemyeon' ({體面|체면}) or 'saving face' is central. Ignoring a minor mistake is often seen as more polite than pointing it out, as it allows the other person to maintain their dignity. Similar to Korea, the 'Kuuki wo yomu' (reading the air) culture encourages 'mite minu furi' to avoid social friction. While Americans also ignore awkward things, there is a higher tendency to be direct ('Hey, you have something on your face'). '못 본 척하다' might be seen as 'passive' in some US contexts. In the age of KakaoTalk and WhatsApp, '못 본 척하다' has moved to 'Read Receipts.' People often see a message but don't 'enter' the chat to avoid the 'read' marker, effectively pretending they haven't seen it.
Use with '넘어가다'
Combine it with '넘어가다' (to pass over) to say 'To pretend not to see and let it slide' (못 본 척하고 넘어가다).
Don't overdo it
If you '못 본 척' too often with friends, they might think you are actually ignoring them ({無視|무시}하다).
Meaning
To deliberately ignore something or someone, feigning ignorance.
Use with '넘어가다'
Combine it with '넘어가다' (to pass over) to say 'To pretend not to see and let it slide' (못 본 척하고 넘어가다).
Don't overdo it
If you '못 본 척' too often with friends, they might think you are actually ignoring them ({無視|무시}하다).
Nunchi Power
In Korea, knowing *when* to pretend not to see is a sign of high social intelligence (nunchi).
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '못 본 척하다'.
길에서 전 남자친구를 만났지만 너무 어색해서 그냥 ______ 지나갔어요.
The phrase '못 본 척하고' (pretended not to see and...) correctly connects the two actions in the past.
Which situation best fits the phrase '못 본 척하다'?
Which of these is a '못 본 척하다' moment?
This involves seeing something but choosing to ignore it for social reasons.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 아까 복도에서 사장님 마주쳤는데 인사했어? B: 아니, 사장님이 너무 화나 보이셔서 그냥 ______.
B saw the boss but chose to ignore him because of his mood.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
3 exercises길에서 전 남자친구를 만났지만 너무 어색해서 그냥 ______ 지나갔어요.
The phrase '못 본 척하고' (pretended not to see and...) correctly connects the two actions in the past.
Which of these is a '못 본 척하다' moment?
This involves seeing something but choosing to ignore it for social reasons.
A: 아까 복도에서 사장님 마주쳤는데 인사했어? B: 아니, 사장님이 너무 화나 보이셔서 그냥 ______.
B saw the boss but chose to ignore him because of his mood.
🎉 Score: /3
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsThey are almost identical. '척' is more common in daily speech, while '체' is slightly more formal or literary.
No, for hearing use '못 들은 척하다'.
Not always. If you ignore someone who needs help, it's rude. It's polite only when it saves someone from embarrassment.
Use '예쁜 척하다'. The pattern is adjective + -(으)ㄴ 척하다.
Only if you are describing a situation where you showed social tact. For example, 'I saw a minor error and handled it discreetly.'
It's not grammatically 'wrong,' but it sounds very unnatural compared to '못 본 척하다' in 99% of cases.
It's a specific type of ignoring—pretending you didn't see. 'Ignore' (무시하다) is much broader.
못 본 척했어요.
Use '-는 척하다'. For example, '공부하는 척하다' (pretend to be studying).
For messages, '읽씹' (reading and ignoring) is a common slang related to this concept.
Related Phrases
모르는 척하다
similarTo pretend not to know.
못 들은 척하다
similarTo pretend not to hear.
눈감아 주다
similarTo turn a blind eye / To forgive a mistake.
시치미를 떼다
idiomTo feign innocence / To play innocent.
무시하다
contrastTo ignore / To look down on.
