Japanese Customer: What is "KY" and what does it mean to younger people?

Photo: Business meeting

Book - Office Ladies and Salaried Men:
Power, Gender, and Work in Japanese Companies

"KY" is a fashionable expression that's caught on among young people today. It stands for kuki ga yomenai, which literally translates as "unable to read the atmosphere."





Source:"EDITORIAL: Coming-of-Age Day",
Asahi Shimbun, 01/15/2008
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200801150065.html

Book - Office Ladies and Salaried Men:
Power, Gender, and Work in Japanese Companies

"KY" is a fashionable expression that's caught on among young people today. It stands for kuki ga yomenai, which literally translates as "unable to read the atmosphere."