AKMU · Korean · 36 words

개화, Part 1

개화 (2026) is AKMU's fourth album and their first in nearly seven years, made after leaving their original label. The first half is built around travel and weather — a wayfarer walking toward a paradise he's only heard rumors of, a spring counted out in colors, a tent pitched somewhere on the road. The vocabulary is unusually physical: blisters, eyelids, freckles, sunburn, and a run of sound-symbolic adverbs.

Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
나그네	a wayfarer; a traveler far from home — a literary, slightly old-fashioned word	지친 나그네여O weary traveler
비웃다	to sneer at; to laugh at someone scornfully	누군가 비웃으면 난 더 힘내요When someone sneers, I only try harder
물집	a blister	물집을 터뜨리고 붕대를 감았죠I burst the blisters and wrapped them up
붕대를 감다	to wrap a bandage around something (fixed expression)	붕대를 감았죠I wrapped it in a bandage
불치병	an incurable illness	당신의 불치병은 그곳에 존재할 수 없어요Your incurable illness cannot exist in that place
겁쟁이	a coward	겁쟁이는 절대 모를 세상이 있죠There's a world a coward will never know
마구잡이	any old way; at random, with no care taken	마구잡이 그려 놓은scribbled down any old way
봉숭아	garden balsam — the flower Korean children crush to dye their fingernails orange in summer	봉숭아 꽃 물들이고dyeing her nails with balsam flowers
삼삼오오	in twos and threes; in little clusters	보려고들 삼삼오오 모여드는 게the way they gather in twos and threes to look
피어나다	to bloom; to come into flower	우린 다 비슷하게 피어났어라We all bloomed much the same way
나풀대다	to flutter lightly in the air	나풀대며 춤추는fluttering and dancing
동네방네	all over the neighborhood; everywhere people can hear	새소리 휘휘휘 온 동네방네에birdsong whistling all over the neighborhood
아깝다	to be a waste; to feel a pang at parting with something	힘들게 번 돈 이곳에 다 써도 아깝지 아니하겠네Spending hard-earned money here wouldn't feel like a waste
잔뜩	a whole lot; as full as it will go	잔뜩 부풀었지swollen right up with it
한숨 자다	to take a nap — here 한숨 means a short sleep, not a sigh (fixed expression)	오늘은 한숨 잘까Shall I take a nap today?
눈꺼풀	an eyelid	감기는 눈꺼풀이 아쉬워It's a shame, these eyelids closing on me
스며들다	to seep in; to soak through into something	외투 속에 스며든 풀 냄새the smell of grass soaked into my coat
누리다	to enjoy; to have the full benefit of something	시간은 짧고 누릴 것은 많구나Time is short and there's so much to enjoy
쫓아내다	to drive out; to chase something away	쫓아내지 말고 품어주어라Don't drive it out — hold it close
품다	to hold in your arms or your heart; to harbor a feeling	쫓아내지 말고 품어주어라Don't chase it off, take it in your arms
그늘	shade; also the shadow of sadness over a person	햇빛 뒤에 그늘이 있는 건That there's shade behind the sunlight
조화롭다	to be in harmony; to fit together well	너의 웃음과 조화로운 너의 눈물your tears, in harmony with your laughter
화창하다	to be bright and clear (of weather)	흐린 날도 화창한 날도 시린 날도cloudy days, bright days, cold days too
애틋하다	to be tender in a way that aches a little; fond and bittersweet at once	모든 게 애틋할 거야Everything will feel tender then
주근깨	freckles	그녀의 주근깨를 사랑해요I love her freckles
그을리다	to be tanned or scorched by sun or smoke	소년의 그을린 피부도 멋있지요The boy's sun-browned skin looks good too
맹하다	to be a bit vacant or slow on the uptake — usually said fondly	조금 맹해도 좋아요A little dopey is fine by me
싱겁다	to be bland and under-salted; of a person, a bit wishy-washy or unfunny	싱거워도 좋아요A bit bland is fine by me
포근하다	to be cozy; softly, comfortably warm	뜨거운 모래알도 시간 지나면 포근하죠Even scorching sand turns cozy given time
걸어 잠그다	to bolt something shut (fixed expression)	걸어 잠근 창문 속에는Behind that bolted window
침낭	a sleeping bag	텐트 안에 얇은 침낭A thin sleeping bag inside the tent
취중	while drunk; in one's cups	한쪽엔 린다의 취중 낮잠On one side, Linda's drunken afternoon nap
코를 골다	to snore (fixed expression)	드르렁 코 고는 소리가the sound of snoring away
어둑어둑	growing dusky; dim as night comes on (reduplicated 의태어 — keep both halves)	어둑어둑 몰래 나가서sneaking out as it goes dark
꿰매다	to sew up; to stitch a tear closed	몇 차례 꿰맨 누더기야It's a rag, stitched up a few times over
바지런히	briskly and diligently, without dawdling	바지런히 또 떠나러 가자Let's get briskly on the road again