空気(くうき)読(よ)む

くうきよむ
expression (verb)
to read the room, to pick up on the atmosphere
spokencolloquialsocietycommunication
1. to read the room, to pick up on the atmosphere
To sense the mood or unspoken feelings of those around you and act appropriately. A key social skill in Japanese culture.
空気(くうき)読(よ)んでよ。
Read the room, will you.
彼(かれ)は空気(くうき)を読(よ)むのが上手(じょうず)だ。
He's good at reading the room.
会議中(かいぎちゅう)に空気(くうき)を読(よ)まずに冗談(じょうだん)を言(い)って、場(ば)が凍(こお)った。
I told a joke without reading the room during the meeting, and everyone went silent.

Cultural note

Reading the air (空気(くうき)を読(よ)む) is considered a fundamental social skill in Japan. Someone who fails to do this is called KY (空気(くうき)読(よ)めない, unable to read the room), which became a popular slang abbreviation.

The particle を is sometimes dropped in casual speech: 空気(くうき)読(よ)んで instead of 空気(くうき)を読(よ)んで.

Common collocations

general
Added 2026.2.10 9:31 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
10500/10758_kuukiyomu