TeacherJoy

Do you know the Korean word 티? I don’t mean the loanword “tea” or “T-shirt,” but the native Korean word 티. 

While it can mean “a very tiny fragment” or “a small defect,” the meaning I want to introduce today is a “hint,” or “clue” that you can notice on someone’s face or in their attitude.

“티” is almost always paired with the verbs 나다 and 내다. Let’s learn them with real-life examples!

• 저는 화나면 얼굴에 쉽게 티가 나요. (When I’m angry, it shows on my face easily.)
• 혹시 저 거짓말 한 거 티 났어요? (Did it show that I was lying? / Could you tell I was lying?)

Use 나다 when your emotions or state naturally leak out and show on the outside for anyone to see. Another chunk expression you’ll hear a lot is 싼 티가 나다:

• 이거 너무 싼 티 난다. 얼마짜리야? (This looks so cheap. How much is it?)
• 말 좀 예쁘게 해. 너무 싼 티 나. (Speak more nicely. You sound so cheap/uncouth.)

It literally means that the cheap quality of something is easily noticeable. While people or manners don’t actually have a price tag, you can use 싼 티가 나다 when someone’s speech or attitude feels unrefined or uneducated.

• 돈 없는 거 티 내지 마. (Don’t let it show that you don’t have money. / Don’t act poor.)
• 아픈 거 티 내지 마. (Don’t let it show that you’re sick. / Don’t complain about being sick.)
• 저는 싫은 티 안 내고 싶은데, 티가 나는 걸 어떡해요? (I don’t want to show that I dislike it, but what can I do if it just shows naturally?)

You use 티를 내다 when you are actively trying to express or show your emotions, status, or vibes to the people around you indirectly.

When you want to ask, “Can you tell?” or “Is it obvious?”, you can simply say: “티 나?”