空気(くうき)読(よ)めない

くうきよめない
expression
unable to read the room, socially clueless
1. unable to read the room, socially oblivious
Describes a person who fails to pick up on the unspoken atmosphere or social cues in a situation. Often abbreviated to KY (ケーワイ).
あの人(ひと)、空気(くうき)読(よ)めないよね。
That person can't read the room, can they?
みんな静(しず)かにしてるのに大(おお)きな声(こえ)で話(はな)すなんて、空気(くうき)読(よ)めないな。
Talking loudly when everyone else is being quiet — that's really not reading the room.
空気(くうき)読(よ)めない人(ひと)だと思(おも)われたくないから、周(まわ)りをよく見(み)るようにしている。
I don't want to be seen as someone who can't read the room, so I try to pay attention to my surroundings.

空気(くうき)読(よ)めない literally means "cannot read the air." In Japanese culture, 空気(くうき)を読(よ)む (reading the air/atmosphere) is a key social skill — sensing unspoken moods, expectations, and group dynamics.

ABBREVIATION:
KY (ケーワイ) is a widely known abbreviation for 空気(くうき)が読(よ)めない. It became popular slang in the mid-2000s and is still understood, though somewhat dated.

RELATED FORMS:

  • 空気(くうき)を読(よ)む: to read the room (positive)
  • 空気(くうき)が読(よ)めない: cannot read the room
  • 空気(くうき)読(よ)めない人(ひと): a socially clueless person
  • KY: abbreviation (used as a label)

CULTURAL NOTE:
Japanese communication relies heavily on implicit understanding. Being able to "read the air" — understanding what is not said — is considered a fundamental social skill. People who miss these cues may be criticized as 空気(くうき)が読(よ)めない. This reflects the broader Japanese value of 察(さっ)する (perceiving unstated feelings).

The concept is so central that its opposite, 空気(くうき)を読(よ)む, is taught as a life skill, and KY became a cultural buzzword describing people who disrupt social harmony.

general
Added 2026.2.12 16:49
10500/10983_kuukiyomenai