Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
등잔 밑이 어둡다 Deungjan mit-i eodupda
The helpless realization that you’ve been tearing the room apart for the exact object sitting right in your hand or on your head.
What does 등잔 밑이 어둡다 mean?
등잔 밑이 어둡다 (Deungjan mit-i eodupda) means: The helpless realization that you’ve been tearing the room apart for the exact object sitting right in your hand or on your head.
Speakers use this saying when someone fails to recognize or understand something very near to them. It turns up in casual conversations and everyday commentary about people missing obvious facts in their immediate surroundings. It describes a common blind spot where physical or situational proximity prevents clear awareness.
When applied to physical searching—such as misplacing glasses that rest on one's own forehead—the saying can add a self-deprecating or lightly humorous tone to an otherwise frustrating moment.
When applied to physical searching—such as misplacing glasses that rest on one's own forehead—the saying can add a self-deprecating or lightly humorous tone to an otherwise frustrating moment.
Other sides of 등잔 밑이 어둡다
◆ Workplace Irony — Speakers use this saying when someone fails to notice a solution or fact that lies directly in front of them. It appears in professional settings where a team struggles with a project, only to realize the answer was obvious all along. People deploy it to comment on missed opportunities or ironic blind spots within an organization.
In a workplace context, this can sound mildly dry or gently critical, often highlighting a collective oversight among colleagues.
In a workplace context, this can sound mildly dry or gently critical, often highlighting a collective oversight among colleagues.
🎙️ 등잔 밑이 어둡다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [등잔 미치 어둡따]로 소리나요 (경음화, 구개음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 등잔 밑이 어둡다더니, 안경을 이마에 얹고서 온 집안을 찾아 헤맸네요.
Deungjan mit-i eodupdateoni, angyeong-eul imae eon-goseo on jib-an-eul chaja hemaenneyo.
They say the darkest place is under the candlestick; I searched all over the house while my glasses were sitting right on my forehead.
💡 Used when frantically looking for an object that is physically attached to or held by the searcher. - 등잔 밑이 어둡다더니 늘 가까이 있던 사람의 진가를 몰라보았어요.
Deungjan mit-i eodupdateoni neul gakkai inneun saram-ui jin-gareul mollaboasseoyo.
They say the darkest place is under the candlestick, and I failed to recognize the true worth of the person who was always close by.
💡 Used when overlooking the qualities of someone nearby. - 등잔 밑이 어둡다니, 바로 코앞에 두고도 찾지 못했네.
Deungjan mit-i eodupdani, baro ko-ape dugo-do chatji mothaetne.
It just goes to show how the darkest place is under the candlestick; I couldn't find it even though it was right under my nose.
💡 Used upon discovering a lost item in plain sight.
Related words in Social Situations
될성부른 나무는 떡잎부터 알아본다 Doelseongbureun namuneun tteongipbuteo arabonda돌다리도 두드려 보고 건너라 Doldarido dudeuryeo bogo geonneora동상이몽 dong-sang-i-mong뒷북치다 dwit-buk-chida어스름 eo-seu-reum