Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
눈을 붙이다 nun-eul붙ida
To snatch a brief 10-to-20-minute sleep right at one's desk during a grueling workday or all-night study grind.
What does 눈을 붙이다 mean?
눈을 붙이다 (nun-eul붙ida) means: To snatch a brief 10-to-20-minute sleep right at one's desk during a grueling workday or all-night study grind.
Textbooks love to define this literally as 'to attach one's eyes,' leaving learners thinking it's a poetic way to go to bed. In reality, natives reach for this phrase when they are surviving under crushing corporate or academic pressure—typically slumped over a keyboard, forehead resting on crossed arms during a lunch hour, or stealing a power nap under the glaring fluorescent lights of a 2-for-1 study room at 3 AM. It carries an unspoken social resignation; you aren't 'sleeping' (자다), you are merely pausing consciousness just enough to survive the next shift while keeping one ear open so you don't shatter office 눈치 (nunchi) by oversleeping.
Other sides of 눈을 붙이다
◆ The Emergency Sleep — Natives use this when they are physically at their limit but social or professional obligations—like a grueling project or an all-night drinking session—make a real bed impossible. Unlike a nap, this signals that you are essentially 'borrowing' time from your exhaustion; it carries a distinct sense of 'I am not sleeping, I am merely patching my eyes shut for ten minutes.' Be careful using this around a superior; admitting you need to '눈을 붙이다' in the middle of a workday can be seen as a breach of your professional '체면' (face), as it implies your current workload is breaking you.
🎙️ 눈을 붙이다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [누늘 부치다]로 소리나요 (구개음화, 연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 점심 시간에 십 분만 눈 좀 붙여야겠어.
jeomsim sigan-e sip bunman nun jom buty-eoyagesseo.
I need to close my eyes for just ten minutes during lunch.
💡 A classic self-declaration of survival whispered to a colleague when the afternoon slump hits hard. - 독서실에서 밤샜더니 책상에 엎드려서 눈 잠깐 붙인 게 다야.
dokseosil-eseo bam-saetdeoni chaeksang-e eopdeuryeoseo nun jamkkan butin ge daya.
I pulled an all-nighter at the study room, so all I did was snatch a quick nap face-down at my desk.
💡 Reveals the gritty reality of Korea's exam culture where real beds are a luxury reserved for the weak. - 팀장님, 피곤하시면 회의 전까지 잠시 눈이라도 좀 붙이십시오.
timjangnim, pigonhasimyeon hoeui jeonkkaji jamsi nun-irado jom buty-isipsio.
Team Leader, if you're tired, please at least close your eyes for a moment before the meeting.
💡 High-level polite deference; telling your boss to take a desk nap requires the utmost respectful phrasing to avoid sounding insubordinate.
Related words in Social Situations
눈이 높다 nun-i nopda눈높이 Nun-no-pi눈썰미 Nun-sseol-mi눈독을 들이다 Nundog-eul deurida눈이 부시다 nuni busida