English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of Life Goes On by BTS, from the 2020 album BE.
Produced by: Pdogg
Written by: Pdogg, RM, Ruuth, Chris James, Antonina Armato, SUGA, j-hope
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Verse 1:
어느 날 세상이 멈췄어
One day the world stopped
어느 = one, some, a certain one
날 = a day
세상 = the world
멈추다 = to stop, to halt
아무런 예고도 하나 없이
without any warning.
아무렇다 = to be any kind of
예고 = a warning, a notice
-도 = X too, even X (예고도)
하나 = one
없다 = to not be found, not exist
Spring didn’t know to wait, so
봄 = spring
기다리다 = to wait
모르다 = to not know
-아서 / -어서 = because X (몰라서)
눈치 없이 와버렸어
it just senselessly barged in.
눈치 = wits, sense
오다 = to come
-아버리다 / -어버리다 = to “go and do X”, to “completely do X”. Read more here. (와버렸어)
발자국이 지워진 거리
The streets, erased of footprints
발자국 = a footprint
지우다 = to erase, to wipe away
-어지다 / -아지다 = works with some verbs to make them passive. IE; “to wipe” becomes “to be wiped” (지워진)
거리 = a street
여기 넘어져 있는 나
Me, here where I’ve fallen
여기 = here
넘어지다 = to fall down, fall over
-어 있다 / -아 있다 = creates a passive state. IE: not to be in the act of falling, but to have fallen and be remaining in that state (넘어져 있는)
나 = I, me
혼자 가네 시간이
Time goes by on its own
혼자 = alone
가다 = to go
-네 = adds a nuance of surprise or amazement (가네)
시간 = time
미안해 말도 없이
without even an apology.
미안하다 = to be sorry
말 = words, speech
오늘도 비가 내릴 것 같아
It looks like rain again today.
오늘 = today
비 = rain
내리다 = to come down
것 같아 = to seem like X; X being the preceding clause
흠뻑 젖어버렸네
I’m completely soaked through.
흠뻑 = a mimetic word adding the feeling of “drenched”, “completely soaked”
젖다 = to be wet
아직도 멈추질 않아
Still I won’t stop.
아직도 = still, yet
-지 않다 = to not do X (멈추질 않아)
저 먹구름보다 빨리 달려가
I run faster than those dark clouds.
저 = that, those
먹구름 = dark clouds
-보다 = compared to X (먹구름보다)
빨리 = quickly
달려가다: 달리다 = to run + 가다 = to go
그럼 될 줄 알았는데
I thought that would be enough.
그럼 = then, if that’s the case
되다 = to become, but in this sense, sort of to suffice, to yield the desired result
-ㄹ 줄 알다 / -을 줄 알다 = to have thought that X was the case
나 겨우 사람인가 봐
I guess I’m only human.
겨우 = merely, just
사람 = a person
-ㄴ가 보다 = “I guess X is the case” (사람인가 봐)
몹시 아프네
It hurts so much.
몹시 = extremely, exceedingly
아프다 = to hurt, to be in pain
세상이란 놈이 준 감기 덕분에
Thanks to this cold given to me by the world,
-이란 = “called X” (세상이란)
놈 = a guy
주다 = to give
감기 = a cold
덕분에 = thanks to X; X being the preceding noun or clause
눌러보는 먼지 쌓인 되감기
I press the dust-covered rewind button.
누르다 = to press
-어보다 / -아보다 = to give X a try, to see about doing X. Read more here. (눌러보다)
먼지 = dust
쌓이다 = to be piled up, stacked up
되감기 = rewind, the act of rewinding
넘어진 채 청하는 엇박자의 춤
Lying on the ground, I dance on the requested off-beat.
채 = while in the state of X, X being the preceding clause
청하다 = to request
엇박자 = the off-beat
-의 = indicates possession, like ‘s in English (엇박자의)
춤 = a dance
겨울이 오면 내쉬자
When winter comes let’s exhale
겨울 = winter
-면 / -으면 = if/when X (오면)
내쉬다 = to exhale
-자 = “Let’s do X” (내쉬자)
더 뜨거운 숨
a warmer breath.
더 = more
뜨겁다 = to be hot
숨 = a breath
Pre-Chorus:
끝이 보이지 않아
There’s no end in sight.
끝 = the end of something
보이다 = to be seen, to be visible
출구가 있긴 할까
Is there even a way out?
출구 = an exit, a way out
있다 = to be found, to exist
-긴 하다 = downplays a fact, adds the nuance that there’s a caveat coming (있긴 할까)
-ㄹ까 / -을까 = used to wonder about something, mostly to oneself(할까)
발이 떼지질 않아 않아 oh
My feet won’t, won’t move. oh
발 = a foot
떼다 = to pick one’s foot up to take a step
잠시 두 눈을 감아
Close your eyes for a moment.
잠시 = for a moment
두 = two
눈 = an eye
감다 = to close one’s eyes
여기 내 손을 잡아
Here, take my hand.
내 = I, me, my
손 = a hand
잡다 = to take hold of
저 미래로 달아나자
Let’s run away to that future.
미래 = a future
-로 / -으로 = into X, towards X (미래로)
달아나다 = to flee, to escape to
Chorus:
Like an echo in the forest
하루가 돌아오겠지
The day will come back around
하루 = a day
돌아오다 = to come back
-지 = adds a nuance of “you know”, or “don’t you think?” (돌아오겠지)
아무 일도 없단 듯이
as if nothing happened.
아무 = none, any
일 = a thing, a matter
듯 = as if X; X being the preceding clause
Yeah life goes on
Like an arrow in the blue sky
또 하루 더 날아가지
another day flies by.
또 = again, another
날아가다: 날다 = to fly + 가다 = to go
On my pillow, on my table
Yeah life goes on
Like this again
Verse 2:
이 음악을 빌려 너에게 나 전할게
I’ll tell you with this song.
이 = this, these
음악 = music
빌리다 = to borrow, to use
너 = you
-에게 = to X, for X (너에게)
전하다 = to convey a message
-ㄹ게 / -을게 = “I’ll do X” with an added nuance of “unless you object” or “if that’s okay with you” (전할게)
사람들은 말해 세상이 다 변했대
People say that the world has changed.
-들 = makes a noun plural (사람들은)
말하다 = to speak, to say
다 = all, everything, everyone
변하다 = to change
다행히도 우리 사이는
But thankfully, between us
다행히 = thankfully
우리 = we, us, our
사이 = the space or relationship between things/people
아직 여태 안 변했네
nothing has changed.
여태 = so far, up until now
안 = to not do X; X being the accompanying verb
늘 하던 시작과 끝 ‘안녕’이란 말로
With the “annyeong” that always comes at the beginning and end
늘 = always
하다 = to do
시작 = a start
-과 / -와 = “and” when followed by an accompanying noun. Otherwise “with” (시작과)
안녕 = a greeting that means both hello and goodbye. The literal meaning is “peace”
-로 / -으로 = via X, using X (말로)
오늘과 내일을 또 함께 이어보자고
let’s thread tomorrow with today.
내일 = tomorrow
함께 = together
이어지다 = to continue, for one thing to lead into another
멈춰있지만 어둠에 숨지 마
We’re on pause, but don’t hide in the darkness
-지만 = X but (멈춰있지만)
어둠 = darkness
-에 = at X, in X (어둠에)
숨다 = to hide oneself
-지 마 = “Don’t do X” (숨지 마)
빛은 또 떠오르니깐
because the light will rise again.
빛 = light
떠오르다 = to come up, to rise
-니까 / -으니까 = because X (떠오르니깐)
Pre-Chorus:
끝이 보이지 않아
There’s no end in sight.
출구가 있긴 할까
Is there even a way out?
발이 떼지질 않아 않아 oh
My feet won’t, won’t move. oh
잠시 두 눈을 감아
Close your eyes for a moment.
여기 내 손을 잡아
Here, take my hand.
저 미래로 달아나자
Let’s run away to that future.
Chorus:
Like an echo in the forest
하루가 돌아오겠지
The day will come back around
아무 일도 없단 듯이
as if nothing happened.
Yeah life goes on
Like an arrow in the blue sky
또 하루 더 날아가지
another day flies by.
On my pillow, on my table
Yeah life goes on
Like this again
Outro:
I remember
I remember
I remember
I remember
