Nuance Dictionary / People & Relationships
낯을 가리다 Nat-eul gar-i-da
An infant or toddler's instinctive, tearful wariness when confronted with unfamiliar faces.
What does 낯을 가리다 mean?
낯을 가리다 (Nat-eul gar-i-da) means: An infant or toddler's instinctive, tearful wariness when confronted with unfamiliar faces.
In this developmental context, 낯을 가리다 isn't about being socially anxious or shy; it's the biological switch turning on where a baby distinguishes 'my people' from 'strangers.' When Korean parents use this, it's usually with a mix of gentle pride and mild exhaustion—a badge of honor proving the baby recognizes mom and dad. Learners often mistake this for general introversion, missing the pure, instinctual infant wariness that natives immediately picture.
Other sides of 낯을 가리다
◆ Adult Social Anxiety and Introversion — Textbooks love to teach this as a trait reserved strictly for babies crying around strangers, but adults use it constantly to soften the edges of standard social anxiety. When a new coworker sits next to you and you look like you swallowed a brick, you say you '낯을 가려요' not because you're a frightened infant, but as a polite, self-deprecating shield to excuse your resting stern face. It signals to the other person: 'I'm not cold, I'm just socially terrified and need three weeks and two beers to function around you.'
◆ Pet Behavior and Animal Personality — When a friend comes over and your dog immediately sprints under the bed or barks like they're defending a medieval fortress, Koreans won't just say they're shy—they'll anthropomorphize them with this exact human social term. It instantly reframes an animal's antisocial panic as a cute, relatable personality quirk rather than a behavioral problem. Learners often think this phrase is strictly reserved for human babies or awkward adults, missing how warmly and commonly pet owners project human social anxiety onto their furry roommates.
◆ Pet Behavior and Animal Personality — When a friend comes over and your dog immediately sprints under the bed or barks like they're defending a medieval fortress, Koreans won't just say they're shy—they'll anthropomorphize them with this exact human social term. It instantly reframes an animal's antisocial panic as a cute, relatable personality quirk rather than a behavioral problem. Learners often think this phrase is strictly reserved for human babies or awkward adults, missing how warmly and commonly pet owners project human social anxiety onto their furry roommates.
🎙️ 낯을 가리다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [나츨 가리다]로 소리나요 (연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 요즘 우리 애가 낯을 가려서 할머니만 봐도 울어요.
Yo-jeum u-ri ae-ga nat-eul gar-i-seo hal-meo-ni-man bwa-do ul-eo-yo.
Lately my kid is going through a stranger-danger phase, so they cry just seeing grandma.
💡 Captures the exact moment parents complain about the developmental phase. - 아기가 낯을 가릴 시기라 손님들이 오면 안아주질 못해요.
A-gi-ga nat-eul gar-il si-gi-ra son-nim-deul-i o-myeon an-a-ju-jil mot-hae-yo.
It's the phase where the baby is wary of strangers, so we can't let guests hold them.
💡 Frames the behavior strictly as a temporary, natural developmental milestone. - 다행히 우리 딸은 낯을 거의 안 가리고 다 잘 웃어.
Da-haeng-hi u-ri ttal-eun nat-eul geo-ui an gar-i-go da jal us-eo.
Thankfully, our daughter barely shies away from strangers and smiles at everyone.
💡 Shows the contrast—having a baby who doesn't go through this phase is treated as a lucky anomaly.
Related words in People & Relationships
눈치 없이 nun-chi-eops-i눈에 넣어도 아프지 않다 nun-e neoh-eodo apeuji anta눈치가 빠르다 Nunchi-ga bba-reu-da눈치가 보이다 Nunchi-ga bo-i-da눈을 맞추다 nuneul matchuda