English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of So What by BTS, from the 2018 album Love Yourself 轉 Tear.
Produced by: Pdogg
Written by: Pdogg, “Hitman” Bang, ADORA, RM, SUGA, j-hope
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Language Note:
A word used a lot in this song is 고민하다 /고민. Though its meaning is often translated as “to worry/a worry” that’s actually not quite what it is. It’s somewhere between worrying and thinking. Let’s compare it to those two words in Korean to nail down it’s true meaning.
생각보다 = “to think”
You would use this word to talk about thinking in general. “I just thought of something”. “I’m thinking about how delicious that Carbonara we had yesterday was.” “What do you think of this?” etc.
걱정하다 = “to worry”
This is a pretty straightforward translation to English. It just means to worry. “I’m worried about the text next week.” “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine”, etc.
고민하다 is somewhere between these too. It means to give a lot of thought to something, maybe even to agonize over it. “I’m thinking about which university I should go to.” “I’m thinking about what I should make for supper when my in-laws come over.” So it can be translated as “thinking”, but it’s something that goes on for a while, it’s not a one-and-done thought. It’s something that you feel a little unrest about, perhaps, so you keep thinking about it.
In this song I’ve translated it as “worry” because that’s the closest we can get in English with a single word. “Agonize” might be better, but it’s not a word we use as often, so it would be jarring to see it pop up over and over again in lyrics.
Intro:
Somebody call me right one
Somebody call me wrong
난 신경 쓰지 않을래
I’m not going to be bothered by it.
나 = I, me
신경 = nerves, care, concern
쓰다 = to use
신경 쓰다 = to care about something, be bothered by something
-지 않다 = to not do X (쓰지 않을래)
-을래 / -ㄹ래 = used to state one’s desire or intention to do something (않을래)
너도 그럼 어때
How about you do the same?
너 = you
-도 = X too, even X (너도)
그럼 = in that case, if that’s the case (shortened form of 그렇다면)
어때 = how about…
So what
Let go
Verse 1:
한숨 그 안에 많은 걱정이 숨어있네
A lot of worries are hidden in a sigh.
한숨 = a sigh
그 = that, those
안 = the inside of something
-에 = at, on X (안에)
많다 = to be many
걱정 = a worry, the act of worrying
숨다 = to hide
-어 있다 / -아 있다 = passive state. IE: “they are hidden” instead of “they are being hidden” or “I am hiding them” (숨어있네)
-네 = adds a nuance of surprise or amazement (숨어있네)
고민 그만해 너는 이미 다 알고 있지
Stop worrying about it, you already know it all.
고민 = a worry, something one is agonizing over; or the act of worrying/agonizing
그만하다 = to stop
이미 = already
다 = all, everything, everyone
알다 = to know
-고 있다 = present progressive form. IE: “to be flying” instead of “to fly”. A unique quirk of Korean is that this is often the most correct form to use when talking about knowing something. They typically say “I am knowing” instead of “I know”. (알고 있지)
-지 = adds a nuance of “you know” or “don’t you agree?” (있지)
이 길의 중간에 포기하고 싶은 순간에
In the moment when you want to give up in the middle of the road,
이 = this, these
길 = a road, a path
-의 = indicates possession, like ‘s in English (길의)
중간 = the middle, the centre
포기하다 = to give up
-고 싶다 = to want to do X (포기하고 싶은)
순간 = a moment
더 크게 소리질러봐
shout louder.
더 = more
크다 = to be big
-게 = makes an adjective into an adverb. IE: “big” becomes “bigly” (크게)
소리지르다 = to shout
-어봗 / -아보다 = to give X a try, to do X and see what happens. Read more here. (소리질러봐)
So what what what
내 맘대로 되는 건 없고
Nothing is going the way I wanted it to, and
내 = I, me, my
맘대로 = the way one wants
되다 = to become
것 = a thing
없다 = to not be found, not exist
-고 = X and (없고)
숨을 곳은 뭐 더더욱 없어
there are fewer and fewer places to hide.
곳 = a place
뭐 = what, well
더더욱 = even more
이미 주사윈 던져진 지 오래
The die was already cast long ago.
주사원 = a die
던지다 = to throw
지 = used to express the amount of time since something happened
오래 = long, a long time
꾸물대단 휩쓸려가겠지 oh bae
If you dawdle, you’ll be swept away, oh bae.
꾸물대다 = to dawdle, to putter, to drag one’s feet
휩쓸려가다 = to be swept away (휩쓸리다 = to be swept up + 가다 = to go)
고민들의 9할은 니가 만들어 낸 상상의 늪
90% of your worries are an imaginary swamp created by you.
-들 = makes a noun plural (고민들의)
할 = ten percent
니 = you (alternate spelling of 네)
만들다 = to make
내다 = to put, to make
상상 = an imagination
늪 = a swap
고민보다 Go Go 쫄지마렴 cheer up
Rather than worrying Go go. Don’t be daunted, Cheer up.
-보다 = rather than X (고민보다)
쫄다 = to be daunted, scared, cowed
-지 마 = “Don’t do X” (The 렴 at the end is not needed. It is an extra language quirk that only works in some situations)(쪼지마렴)
소리쳐봐 So what what
Shout it out, So what what!
소리 = a sound, (often used to mean voice)
치다 = to hit, to strike, to make
Pre-Chorus:
We are we are we are
Young & wild & free
답도 없는 고민 고민
Worry after worry with no answers –
답 = an answer
그 속에 빠져 있지 마
don’t get bogged down with those.
속 = the insides of something
빠지다 = to fall into
경계선 위에서 위태롭다 해도
Even if we’re on the boundary line, in danger,
경계선 = a boundary line
위 = the top of something
-에서 = in X, from X (위에서)
위태롭다 = to be risky
하다 = to do, to speak
-아도 / -어도 = even if X, even though X (해도)
웃고 떠들며 바람을 가르자
Let’s laugh and talk and cut through the wind.
웃다 = to laugh, to smile
떠들다 = to talk, chatter, make noise
-며 / -으며 = while X (떠들며)
바람 = wind
가르다 = to cut through, to separate
-자 = “Let’s do X” (가르자)
때론 바보같이 멍청이 달리기
Sometimes running like an idiot,
때론 = sometimes
바보 = a fool
같다 = to be like X (X being the preceding noun)
멍청이 = an idiot
달리다 = to run
실수와 눈물 속에 we just go
in all our mistakes and tears, we just go.
실수 = a mistake
-와 / -과 = “and” when followed by an accompanying noun. Otherwise “with” (실수와)
눈물 = tears
Chorus:
So what
멈춰서 고민 하지마
Don’t stop and worry.
멈추다 = to stop
-어서 / -아서 = to do X and then… (멈춰서)
다 쓸데 없어
It’s no help at all..
쓸데 없다 = to be of no use
Let go
아직은 답이 없지만
There’s no answer yet, but
아직 = still, yet
-지만 = X but (없지만)
you can start the fight
So what
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Let go
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
So what
Verse 2:
Ay 누군 일들이 싫대
Ay Some say they hate work.
누구 = who, someone, some people
일 = work
싫다 = to dislike, to hate
Ay 누군 쉬고만 싶대
Ay Some say they just want to rest.
쉬다 = to rest
-만 = just X, only X (쉬고만)
Ay 그들의 고통과 피폐
Ay Their pain and devastation,
고통 = pain
피폐 = devastation
Ay 모두 내게 몰아칠 때
Ay when it all rages at me
모두 = every, all
-에게 = to X, for X (내게)
몰아치다 = to rage
때 = the point in time when something happens
Ay 어떡하긴 뭐 어떡해 uh
Ay what should I do? Well, what should I? uh
어떡하다 = “What should I do?”
답은 하나밖에 없기에 uh
Since there’s only one answer uh
하나 = one
-밖에 = besides X (literally “outside of X”)
-기에 = “because X”. Used to give a reason why someone is doing something. (없기에)
그냥 믿고 달려보자고
let’s just trust it and run.
그냥 = just
믿다 = to trust, to believe
So what?
I don’t wanna die right now
I don’t wanna
I don’t wanna fight right now
걱정이 싫어. 인생은 길어.
I don’t want to worry. Life is long.
인생 = life
길다 = to be long
걍 가 I wanna live right now
Just go. I wanna live right now.
걍 = shortened form of 그냥
가다 = to go
브레이크 부러졌으니 밟아 엑셀
The brakes are broken, so step on the accelerator.
부러지다 = to break, to be broken
-으니 / -니 = because X, since X (부러졌으니)
밟다 = to step on something
이러나 저러나
Whatever the case,
이렇다 = to be like this
-나 = X or
저렇다 = to be like that
사람 신세 다 안다면 무슨 재미냐
If a person knows their whole lot in life, what fun is that?
사람 = a person
신세 = conditions, lot (in life)
-다면 = if X (안다면)
무슨 = which, what
재미 = fun
고통은 내 훈장
Pain is my medal.
훈장 = a medal, a badge
그래서 So what?
So So What?
그새서 = so
Pre-Chorus:
We are we are we are
Young & wild & free
답도 없는 고민 고민
Worry after worry with no answers –
그 속에 빠져 있지 마
don’t get bogged down with those.
경계선 위에서 위태롭다 해도
Even if we’re on the boundary line, in danger,
웃고 떠들며 바람을 가르자
Let’s laugh and talk and cut through the wind.
때론 바보같이 멍청이 달리기
Sometimes running like an idiot,
실수와 눈물 속에 we just go
in all our mistakes and tears, we just go.
Chorus:
So what
멈춰서 고민 하지마
Don’t stop and worry.
다 쓸데 없어
It’s no help at all.
Let go
아직은 답이 없지만
There’s no answer yet, but
you can start the fight
So what
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Let go
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Interlude:
Somebody call me right one
Somebody call me wrong
난 신경 쓰지 않을래
I’m not going to be bothered by it.
너도 그럼 어때
How about you do the same?
Chorus:
So what
멈춰서 고민 하지마
Don’t stop and worry.
다 쓸데 없어
It’s no help at all.
Let go
아직은 답이 없지만
There’s no answer yet, but
you can start the fight
So what
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Let go
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
So what
Outro:
Somebody call me right one
Somebody call me wrong
난 신경 쓰지 않을래
I’m not going to be bothered by it.
너도 그럼 어때
How about you do the same?
