What does “환기” mean in Korean?

환기 is the everyday Korean word for airing out a space — cracking a window to swap stuffy air for fresh. You rarely use it alone; the working phrase is 환기시키다, “to ventilate.” So 환기 좀 시키려고? means “Were you trying to air it out?” — exactly what you’d say about an open car window or a closed-up room, yet it almost never shows up in beginner textbooks.

It’s Sino-Korean, written 換氣 — 換 “exchange” plus 氣 “air,” literally “air exchange.” That hanja logic makes related words easy to guess: 환기구 is a ventilation opening and 환기팬 a ventilation fan. In the clip the open car window prompts 환기 좀 시키려고? (“trying to air it out?”). Reach for 환기시키다 anytime you open a window to clear cooking smells, a stuffy bedroom, or a hot car.