English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of 이사 (Moving On) by BTS, from the 2015 album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.1.
Produced by: Pdogg
Written by: Pdogg, RM, SUGA, j-hope
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Verse 1 (RM):
Ayo SUGA
3년 전 여기 첨 왔던 때 기억해?
Do you remember when we first came here three years ago?
년 = a year
전 = before
여기 = here
첨 = first, beginning (shortened form of 처음)
오다 = to come
때 = the point in time when something happens
기억하다 = to remember
왠지 형이랑 나랑 막 치고박고 했던 때
The time when for some reason we were always at each other.
왠지 = somehow, for some reason
형 = a word used by males to refer to their older brother or to an older male with whom they are close
-이랑 / -랑 = “and” when followed by an accompanying noun. Otherwise “with” (형이랑)
나 = I, me
치고박고 = slangy, but sort of to “wail on someone”, to fight. 치다 = to strike, to hit, and 박다 = to bump, to hammer something
하다 = to do
벽지도 화장실도 베란다도 다 파란 집
The house where the wallpaper, bathroom, and veranda were all blue.
벽지 = wallpaper
-도 = X too, even X (벽지도)
화장실 = a bathroom
다 = all, everything, everyone
파랗다 = to be blue
집 = a house, a home (apartments/condos can also be referred to as 집)
Back then I thought this was a really big house.
그 = that, those
되게 = quite, very
넓다 = to be wide (rooms in Korean are not describes as “big” or “small”, but as “wide” or “narrow”)
줄 알다 = to have thought X
-지 = adds a nuance of “you know” or “don’t you think?” (알았지)
But 내 야망이 너무 커졌어
But my ambition grew too big.
내 = I, me, my
야망 = ambition
너무 = too, so
크다 = to be big
-어지다 / -아지다 = makes an adjective transitional. IE: “to be big” becomes “to be getting big/bigger” (커졌어)
그리 넓어 보이던 새 집도 이제는 너무 좁아졌어.
Even the new house that looked so big has now become too small.
그리 = so, to that extent (as used above, not as in “I wasn’t hungry so I didn’t eat.”)
보이다 = to be seen, to be visible
새 = new
이제 = now, anymore
좁다 = to be narrow
17평 아홉 연습생 코찔찔이 시절
The time of 9 trainees, little snotnoses, in 17 pyeong.
(17 pyeong is about 56 square metres or 605 square feet)
평 = a unit used in measuring area. 1 평 is about 3.3 square metres
아홉 = nine
연습생 = a trainee
코찔찔이 = a little snot-nose, a brat (dialect form of 코흘리개)
시절 = a time, days, years
엊그제 같은데 그래 우리도 꽤 많이 컸어
It feels like just the other day, but yeah, even we have grown up quite a bit.
엊그제 = a couple of days ago, a day or two ago
같다 = to be like X (X being the preceding noun)
그래 = yeah, okay, sure
우리 = we, us, our
꽤 = quite, fairly
많다 = to be many, a lot
좋은 건 언제나 다 남들의 몫이었고
The good things were always reserved for others.
좋다 = to be good
것 = a thing
언제나 = always
남 = others
-들 = makes a noun plural (남들의)
-의 = indicates possession like ‘s in English (남들의)
몫 = one’s share, one’s lot
-고 = X and (몫이었고)
불투명한 미래 걱정에 항상 목 쉬었고
Our throats were always hoarse from worry over our uncertain future.
불투명하다 = unclear, uncertain
미래 = a future
걱정 = a worry
-에 = at X, on X (걱정에)
항상 = always
목 = a neck, a throat
쉬다 = to rest – when used with 목 it means for one’s throat to be hoarse
연말 시상식 선배 가수들 보며 목 메였고
We’d be choked, watching singers that had been around longer at year-end award shows.
연말 = year-end
시상식 = an awards ceremony
선배 = someone who is in the same field as you but has been doing it longer
가수 = a singer
보다 = to look at, to see
-며 / -으며 = while X (보며)
목메이다 = to be choked (dialect form of 목메다)
했던 꾸질한 기억 잊진 말고 딱 넣어두자고
Let’s not forget those memories of our small beginnings, but hold onto them.
꾸질하다 = to be slow and sluggish
잊다 = to forget
-지 말다 = “Don’t do X” (잊진 말고)
넣다 = to put something into something
-어두다 / -아두다 = to do X and leave it that way (넣어두자고)
-자 = “Let’s do X” (넣어두자고)
우리의 냄새가 나 여기선
Our scent hangs here.
냄새 = a smell
나다 = to come up, to occur
이 향기 잊지 말자 우리가 어디 있건.
Let’s not forget this scent, wherever we are.
이 = this, these
향기 = a scent
어디 = where, somewhere
있다 = to be found, to exist
울기도 웃기도 많이 했지만 모두 꽤나 아름다웠어
We’ve cried and laughed a lot, but it was all so beautiful.
울다 = to cry
웃다 = to smile, to laugh
-지만 = X but (했지만)
모두 = every, everything, everyone
아름답다 = to be beautiful
논현동 3층, 고마웠어
Nonhyeondong, 3rd floor, thank you.
층 = a level, a floor of a building
고맙다 = to be thankful
Chorus:
이사 가자
Let’s move on.
이사 = the act of moving from one residence to another
가다 = to go
정들었던 이곳과는 안녕
Goodbye to this place that we’ve become attached to.
정들다 = to be attached to something emotionally, whether in a positive or negative way
곳 = a place
-과 / -와 = “and” when followed by an accompanying noun, otherwise “with” (이곳과는)
안녕 = “hi” or “bye”, casually
이사 가자
Let’s move on
이제는 더 높은 곳으로
to a higher place now.
더 = more
높다 = to be high
-으로 = to X, toward X (곳으로)
텅 빈 방에서 마지막 짐을 들고 나가려다가
In my empty room I pick up my last piece of luggage and before I leave,
텅 비다 = to be empty
방 = a room
-에서 = inside X, from X (방에서)
마지막 = the last of something, the end
짐 = luggage, cargo, a load, a burden.. basically anything you carry with you from one place to another
들다 = to lift
나가다 = to go out
잠시 돌아본다
I look back for a moment.
잠시 = for a moment
돌아보다 = to look back
울고 웃던 시간들아 이젠 안녕
Those times of laughter and tears, goodbye now.
시간 = a time
Verse 2 (j-hope):
3년의 삶 참 짧고도 길었지
3 years of life felt both really short and long.
삶 = a life
참 = quite, really
짧다 = to be short
길다 = to be long
많은 일들이 있고 많은 추억의 기억이
Lots of things happened, and many memories
일 = events, things, work, matters (super versatile word)
추억 = a memory that is laced with emotion
막 떠오르곤 해, 떠날 때가 되니까
come back to me now that we’re leaving.
떠오르다 = to come to mind
-곤 하다 = to sometimes do X, to now and then to X (떠오르곤 해)
떠나다 = to leave
되다 = to become
-니까 / -으니까 = because X (되니까)
사용의 흔적들 like 통장내역 크레딧카드
The traces left, like bank or credit card statements.
사용 = use (noun), the act of using something
흔적 = a trace, a mark
통장 = a bankbook
내역 = a breakdown – not like a mental breakdown, but a detailed account of something
좁은 평수만큼 더 뭉친 점도 있었고
Since space was tight, we also came together tightly.
평수 = floor space
-만큼 = as much as X, to the same degree as X (평수만큼)
뭉치다 = to unite, to stand together
점 = a point (as in, “there were high points and low points”)
Fight right here 치고 받기도 몇번
Fight right here. We got into it a few times.
몇 = a few, several
번 = a time, an instance
그래서인지 고운 정 미운 정 쌓이고 쌓였어.
Maybe that’s why these feelings of attachment pile up, for all the lovely parts and the ugly parts.
그래서 = so
곱다 = to be pretty, lovely
정 = A feeling of attachment, whether positive or negative. This is the noun used in 정들다, which you learned in the chorus.
밉다 = to detest, to loathe
쌓이다 = to pile up, to be stacked up
먼지 마냥, 이젠 치워지겠지
Like dust, now they’ll be cleared away.
먼지 = dust
치우다 = to clean up, to clear away
처음보단 짐도 늘고
There’s more luggage than there was in the beginning.
처음 = the first, the beginning
-보다 = compare to X, more than X (처음보다)
늘다 = to increase
처음보단 내 스스로 가진 것도 늘었어
I myself have more stuff than I did in the beginning.
스스로 = on one’s own
가지다 = to have, to possess
이젠 자부심을 딱 들고 더 큰 세상 큰 꿈을 나 바라보겠어.
Now I’m going to carry my pride, and look forward to a bigger world, a bigger dream.
자부심 = pride
세상 = a world
꿈 = a dream
바라보다 = to look at something
새 출발, 새 시작
A new departure, a new start,
출발 = a departure
시작 = a beginning, a start
어떤 식으로 또 꾸밀 지 기대되는 시간
a time of anticipation, thinking of how we’ll decorate again.
어떤 = some kind of, what kind of
식 = a method, a way of doing something
-으로 / -로 = via X, using X (식으로)
꾸미다 = to decorate
기대되다 = to look forward to, to anticipate
짐 날라, 위치 잡아, 먼지 닦아
Moving everything, finding a place for it, wiping off the dust
나르다 = to transport
위치 = a location
잡다 = to hold, to seize
닦다 = to wipe
끝나고서는 수고의 짜장면 하나.
after we’re done, a well-deserved bowl of Jjajangmyeon.
(It’s fairly common in Korea to get Chinese take-out and eat it on moving-in day at a new place.)
That’s right.
끝나다 = to come to an end
수고 = hard work, a solid effort
짜장면 = black bean noodles
하나 = one
Chorus:
이사 가자
Let’s move on.
정들었던 이곳과는 안녕
Goodbye to this place that we’ve become attached to.
이사 가자
Let’s move on
이제는 더 높은 곳으로
to a higher place now.
텅 빈 방에서 마지막 짐을 들고 나가려다가
In my empty room I pick up my last piece of luggage and before I leave,
잠시 돌아본다
I look back for a moment.
울고 웃던 시간들아 이젠 안녕
Those times of laughter and tears, goodbye now.
Verse 3 (SUGA):
난생 처음 엄마의 뱃속에서
For the first time in my life, inside my mother’s stomach,
난생 = for the first time in one’s life
엄마 = mom
배 = a stomach
속 = the inside of something
나의 첫 이사 날을 세곤 했어
I used to count the days until my first move.
날 = a day
세다 = to count
-곤 했다 = used to say one “used to do X” (세곤 했어)
희미한 기억 나의 이사의 대가는
The memory is faint. The price for my move
희미하다 = to be vague, faint
대가 = a price, a cost
엄마 심장의 기계와 광활한 흉터였어
was my mother’s heart machine and an extensive scar.
심장 = a heart
기계 = a machine
광활하다 = to be vast, extensive
흉터 = a scar
2010년 그 해 겨울 대구에서
Winter of 2010 in Daegu
해 = a year
경울 = winter
철없던 내가 이 세상의 크기를 재곤 했어.
I, still immature, used to guess at the size of the world.
철없다 = to be immature, childish
크기 = size
재다 = to gauge, to estimate
상업적이란 집으로 이사간 대가는
The price of moving to what they call a ‘commercial’ home
상업적 = commercial
-이란 = “called X” (상업적이란)
욕 바가지 돈따라기라며 날 향한 손가락질
was fingers pointing at me, talking crap about me for chasing money.
욕 = curses, badmouthing
바가지 = pecking at, harping on
돈 = money
따르다 = to follow
이처럼 이사는 내게 참 많은 걸 남겼지
A move like this has left me with quite a few things.
-처럼 = like X (이처럼)
-에게 = to X, for X (내게)
남기다 = to leave something
그게 좋던 싫던 내 삶 속에서 많은 걸 바꿨지
For better or for worse, many things in my life have changed.
싫다 = to hate, to dislike
바꾸다 = to change
내 삶은 월세 나도 매달려 알어?
My life also revolves around paying rent, you know?
월세 = monthly rent
매달리다 = to hang from, to be suspended from
알다 = to know
내 자존심은 보증금 다 건 채 하루를 살어 uh?
My point of pride is that I put it all on the line every day, uh?
자존심 = self-respect, pride
보증금 = a deposit, a security deposit
걸다 = very versatile verb, but when used with 보증금 it means to put down a deposit on something
채 = while doing X (X being the preceding clause)
하루 = a day
살다 = to live
그래서 다시 이사 가려고 해
So I’m going to move again.
다시 = again
-려고 하다 = to be going to do X, to intend to do X (가려고 해)
아이돌에서 한 단계 위로 꿈이 잡히려 해
I’m going to dream it, one step up from an idol.
단계 = a step
위 = the top of something, above something
잡히다 = to be caught by
이번 이사의 손 없는 날은 언제일까?
What might be the right day to move?
(Literal translation: “When might be a day without a guest, so we can move?”. There is a superstition in Korean that a “guest” – a spirit – travels around doing damage to people, but it is occasionally inactive. Therefore people try to plan big events – moves, weddings, etc. – on days “without a guest”.)
이변 = this, this instance of something
손 = a guest
없다 = to not be found, not exist
언제 = when
빠른 시일이면 좋겠다
I hope that day comes quickly.
빠르다 = to be quick
시일 = time, days, a date
-면 / -으면 / -이면 = if/when X (시일이면)
Chorus (x2):
이사 가자
Let’s move on.
정들었던 이곳과는 안녕
Goodbye to this place that we’ve become attached to.
이사 가자
Let’s move on
이제는 더 높은 곳으로
to a higher place now.
텅 빈 방에서 마지막 짐을 들고 나가려다가
In my empty room I pick up my last piece of luggage and before I leave,
잠시 돌아본다
I look back for a moment.
울고 웃던 시간들아 이젠 안녕
Those times of laughter and tears, goodbye now.
Outro:
Everyone’s afraid of changes
Staying, moving on, staying, moving on
We keep repeating the same things again and again
I guess that’s life I’m afraid
Old or new, new or old, that isn’t really important
What’s important is that we still breathe and live in the same place
So let’s move on
