English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of Let Me Know by BTS, from the 2014 album Dark & Wild.
Produced by: SUGA, Pdogg
Written by: SUGA, Pdogg, RM, j-hope
Find it here: Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Intro:
마무리 된 이 선율 위에서
In this melody that’s ended
마무리 = the end, the finish
되다 = to become
이 = this, these
선율 = a melody
위 = the top of something
-에서 = inside X (위에서)
나 홀로 버티고 있어
I’m enduring on my own.
나 = I, me
홀로 = alone
버티다 = to endure, to linger
-고 있다 = present progressive form. IE: “to be lingering” instead of “to linger” (버티고 있어)
이젠 내게 말해줘
Please tell me now.
이제 = now
내 = I, me, my
-에게 = to X, for X (내게)
말하다 = to speak, to say
-아주다 / -어주다 = adds a nuance of “for” or “as a favour to” someone. Read more here. (말해줘)
끝났단 걸 let me know
Let me know it’s over.
끝나다 = to end
Verse 1:
순간 단위로 눈가엔 뚝뚝뚝 비가 고여
Every second, drip drip drip, rain drops well up in my eyes.
순간 = a moment
단위 = a unit, a measure
-로 / -으로 = via X, using X (순간단위로)
눈가 = the area around one’s eye (눈 = eye + 가 = the area around something)
-에 = at X, on X(눈가엔)
비 = rain
고이다 = for tears to come out, to salivate, etc
네가 고여
You well up.
네 = you, your
숨만 쉬어도 네가 보여
Even when I just breathe, I see you.
숨 = breath
-만 = just X, only X (숨만)
숨 쉬다 = to breathe
-어도 / -아도 = even if X, even though X (쉬어도)
보이다 = to be seen, to be visible
사랑은 벚꽃처럼 폈다가 쉽게 지는 게 맞나 봐
I guess it’s true that love blooms and easily withers like a cherry blossom.
사랑 = love
벚꽃 = cherry blossoms
-처럼 = like X (벚꽃처럼)
피다 = to bloom, to blossom
쉽다 = to be easy
-게 = turns an adjective into an adverb. IE: “easy” becomes “easily” (쉽게)
지다 = to wilt, to fade
맞다 = to be correct
-나 보다 = “I guess X”, “It looks like X” (맞나 봐)
꿈꾸는 것처럼 우린 불꽃처럼 탔다가 재만 남게 됐잖아
As if in a dream, we burned like a flame and became nothing but ash.
꿈 = a dream
꿈 꾸다 = to dream
우리 = we, us, our
불꽃 = a flame
타다 = to burn
재 = ash
남다 = to be left, to be remaining
-게 되다 = to end up doing X (남게 됐잖아)
-잖아 = used when saying something the listener already knows (됐잖아)
Hey girl I know 네가 일방적으로 내린 결론
Hey girl, I know you made the decision on your own.
일방적 = one-sided
내리다 = to go down
결론 = a conclusion
네 손 네 몸 적도보다 뜨거웠던 너의 온기조차 사라진 선율위에서
In this melody from which your hands, your body, and even your warmth, hotter than the equator, have disappeared
손 = a hand
몸 = a body
적도 = the equator
-보다 = compared to X, more than X (적도보다)
뜨겁다 = to be hot
너 = you
-의 = indicates possession, like ‘s in English (너의)
온기 = warmth
-조차 = even X (온기조차)
사라지다 = to disappear, to fade away
난 계속해서 제자리 도돌이표
I’m still in the same place. Repeat sign
계속하다 = to continue
제자리 = the spot where something was before, its original spot
도돌이표 = a repeat sign (in music)
마침표 그어진 악보위에 나 홀로 돌고 있어.
I’m going in circles on this sheet music marked with a final barline.
마침표 = a period. Also the final double barline in a piece of music.
긋다 = to strike, to mark, to draw
-어지다 / -아지다 = in some contexts, can make a verb passive. IE: “to draw” become “to be drawn” (그어진)
악보 = sheet music
돌다 = to turn, to spin
Pre-Chorus:
마무리 된 이 선율 위에서
In this melody that’s ended
나 홀로 버티고 있어
I’m enduring on my own.
이젠 내게 말해줘
Please tell me now.
끝났단 걸 let me know
Let me know it’s over.
Chorus:
Girl let me know
Girl let me know
이미 다 끝난 건 알고 있지만
I know it’s all over already, but,
이미 = already
다 = all
알다 = to know
-지만 = X but (있지만)
미련이라도 남지 않게만
so that I’m not left with these lingering feelings,
미련 = lingering feeling, lingering attachment, reluctance to let go
-이라도 = “X or something”. Quite a nuanced particle. Learn more here. (미련이라도)
Girl let me know
Girl let me know
Girl let me know
뭐라도 말해줘
Please say something, anything.
뭐 = what, something
I just wanna know
I just wanna know
미련이 마침표 앞에서 버티고 있어
My feelings are holding out in front of the final bar line.
앞 = the front of something
그러니 뭐라도 내게 말해줘
So, whatever it is, please say something.
Girl let me know
그러니 = so, because of that
Verse 2:
함께한 다짐 어디로
Where did the promises we made to each other go?
함께하다 = to be together
다짐 = a promise, a resolution
어디 = where, somewhere
-로 / -으로 = to X, towards X (어디로)
시간과 함께 사라지고
They disappeared together with time, and
시간 = time
-과 / -와 = “and” when followed by an accompanying noun. Otherwise “with”. (시간과)
-고 = X and (사라지고)
이별의 힘에 무너진 도미노
the dominoes gave way at the force of our parting.
이별 = a parting
힘 = force, strength
무너지다 = to collapse, to give way
마치 줄리엣 & 로미오
It’s like Juliet & Romeo.
마치 = often used to preface sentences that have imagery in them
너무 뜨겁게 널 좋아한건지
Maybe it’s because I burned for you so hotly
너무 = too, so
좋아하다 = to like
너와 내 온기가 안 식혀지지
that our heat won’t cool down.
안 = to not do X, X being the accompanying verb/adjective
식히다 = to cool down
-지 = adds a nuance of “you know” or “don’t you agree?” (식혀지지)
이제와 돌이켜 너와의 필름
I look back now on the memories with you.
돌이키다 = to look back on
필름 = “film”. Used to refer to one’s memory/memories.
뭐 할까란 이른 니 생각과
It’s too soon to be thinking about you, wondering what you’re doing.
하다 = to do
-ㄹ까 / -을까 = used to wonder about something, sort of to oneself (할까란)
니 = you, your (alternate spelling of 네)
생각 = a thought
지금 넌 나의 밤의 별을 가져가
Now you take away the stars from my night.
지금 = now
밤 = a night
별 = a star
가져가다 = to take something away (가지다 = to have + 가다 = to go)
낮의 해를 가져가
You take away the sun from my day.
낮 = daytime
해 = the sun
결국 남은 건 하나 찬 구름의 어둠만.
The only thing left in the end is just the darkness of the cold clouds.
결국 = finally, in the end
하나 = one
차다 = to be cold
구름 = a cloud
어둠 = darkness
그래 만남도 있음 헤어짐도 있을 거라는 법.
Yeah, where there’s a meeting there will be a parting.
(Korean proverb)
그래 = yeah, okay, sure
만남 = a meeting
-도 = X too, even X (만남도)
있다 = to be found, to exist
-음 = if/when X (있음 – shortened form of 있으면)
헤어지다 = to part ways, to break up
법 = a rule, the normal way something goes
Never ever
그게 무슨 법이든 어기고 싶어
Whatever that rule is, I want to break it.
그 = that, those
무슨 = which, what
어기다 = to disobey, to violate a rule
-고 싶다 = to want to do X (어기고 싶어)
스스로 외면
I turn a blind eye to it.
스스로 = on one’s own
외면 = the act of disregarding, looking away from something
나에게 최면
I hypnotize myself.
최면 = hypnotization
Pre-Chorus:
마무리 된 이 선율 위에서
In this melody that’s ended
나 홀로 버티고 있어.
I’m enduring on my own.
이젠 내게 말해줘
Please tell me now.
끝났단 걸 let me know
Let me know it’s over.
Chorus:
Girl let me know
Girl let me know
이미 다 끝난 건 알고 있지만
I know it’s all over already, but,
미련이라도 남지 않게만
so that I’m not left with these lingering feelings,
Girl let me know
Girl let me know
Girl let me know
뭐라도 말해줘
Please say something, anything.
I just wanna know
I just wanna know
미련이 마침표 앞에서 버티고 있어
My feelings are lingering in front of the final bar line.
그러니 뭐라도 내게 말해줘
So, whatever it is, please say something.
Girl let me know
Bridge:
어쩜 우린 다 바보 멍청이일지 몰라
Maybe we’re all stupid fools.
어쩜 = maybe
바보 = a fool
멍청이 = a moron, an idiot
모르다 = to not know
이미 다 끝난 사랑 하나쯤 안고 살잖아
We keep holding onto a love that’s already ended.
-쯤 = about X, roughly X (하나쯤)
안다 = to hug, to embrace
살다 = to live
맘이 있는 건 아냐
It’s not that I still have feelings for you.
맘 = one’s heart/mind, in the metaphorical, not the anatomical sense (shortened spelling of 마음)
아니다 = to not be X (X being the preceding noun/clause)
될 수 없단 것도 알아
I know that we can’t make it work.
-ㄹ 수 없다 / -을 구 없다 = to not be able to do X (될 수 없단)
근데 가끔씩 체한 듯이 왜 체한 듯이 다시
But sometimes, like a stomachache, like a stomachache, again,
근데 = but
가끔씩 = sometimes
체하다 = to have an upset stomach
듯 = as if X, as though X (X being the preceding noun/clause)
왜 = why
다시 = again
내 속에서 터질것처럼 울컥 올라와 날 토하게 만드네
my feelings surge up as if they’re going to explode and make me vomit.
속 = the inside of something
터지다 = to explode
울컥 = suddenly, abruptly
올라오다 = to come up (오르다 = to ascend, to go up + 오다 = to come)
토하다 = to vomit
만들다 = to make
-네 = adds a nuance of surprise or amazement (만드네)
상상 속에서 너와 싸우고 화해하고 널 이해해.
In my imagination I fight with you, make up with you, and understand you.
상상 = an imagination
싸우다 = to fight
화해하다 = to reconcile, to make up
이해하다 = to understand
네 손짓 네 눈빛 희미한데 왜 사라지진 않을까?
Your hand gestures, the way you looked at me, they’re faint, so why won’t they fade away?
손짓 = a hand gesture
눈빛 = the look in one’s eyes
희미하다 = to be faint, vague
-지 않다 = to not do X (사라지진 않을까)
사라지진 않을까 왜
Won’t they disappear? Why?
사라지진 않을까 왜
Won’t they disappear? Why?
사라지진 않을까 왜
Won’t they disappear? Why?
Chorus:
Girl let me know
Girl let me know
이미 다 끝난 건 알고 있지만
I know it’s all over already, but,
미련이라도 남지 않게만
so that I’m not left with these lingering feelings,
Girl let me know
Girl let me know.
Girl let me know
뭐라도 말해줘
Please say something, anything.
I just wanna know
I just wanna know
미련이 마침표 앞에서 버티고 있어
My feelings are lingering in front of the final bar line.
그러니 뭐라도 내게 말해줘
So, whatever it is, please say something.
Girl let me know
