AKMU · Korean · 32 words

PLAY, Part 2

The second half of AKMU's 2014 debut, released under their original credit 악동뮤지션, turns inward. 「안녕」 is about being the kid nobody talks to, 「작은별」 asks whether a person can become someone else's star, and 「길이나」 and 「소재」 make comedy out of missed chances and creative block. Learners pick up feeling verbs, chance-encounter vocabulary, and the star-and-sky words that run through AKMU's writing.

Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
어울리다	to mix with others; to hang out as part of a group	저 만치서 어울리고 있는 너희를 바라보고Watching you all hanging out over there
다가가다	to go up to someone; to approach	다가갈까 말까Should I go over or not?
반기다	to greet someone gladly; to welcome	이런 날 반겨줄까Would they welcome someone like me?
외롭다	to be lonely	혼자라는 게 얼마나 외로운지 아니Do you know how lonely it is to be alone?
피하다	to avoid; to dodge someone	날 피하는 게 보일 때When I can see you avoiding me
안심	relief; the feeling of being at ease again	내겐 안심이 될 테니because that alone would set me at ease
속앓이	suffering kept bottled up inside rather than told to anyone	어두운 곳에서 속앓이를 하고Aching inside somewhere dark
잠꼬대	sleep-talking; words muttered while asleep	그건 작은 별의 잠꼬대일 거야That must be the little star talking in its sleep
뒤척임	tossing and turning in bed	그건 작은 별의 뒤척임일 거야That must be the little star turning over in its sleep
반짝반짝	twinkling; sparkling (reduplicated 의태어 — keep both halves)	반짝반짝 작은 별님Twinkle, twinkle, little star
비추다	to shine light on something; to light it up	날 조금만 비춰주세요Please shine on me, just a little
침침하다	to be dim; of eyesight, to be blurry and failing	나이를 먹은 하늘 눈이 침침할 뿐이야The sky has just grown old and dim-sighted
둘러보다	to look around; to take a look about	동쪽 하늘 서쪽 하늘 둘러보면If you look around, east sky and west sky
마주치다	to run into someone; to meet by chance	동성이 길에 마주치면When you run into someone of your own gender on the street
-는 척하다	to pretend to be or do something (grammar pattern; here shortened to just 척 in the lyric)	이성이 길에 마주치면 도도한 척Run into someone you fancy and it's all pretending to be aloof
도도하다	to be haughty and aloof — in dating talk, playing hard to get	왜 막상 내 타입이 지나가면 나 도도해지는데Why do I turn aloof the moment my type walks by?
첫눈에 반하다	to fall for someone at first sight (fixed expression)	첫눈에 반해도 그래도 도도한 척Even smitten at first sight, I still act aloof
후회하다	to regret	집에 오고 나면 그러면 후회하죠And then once I get home, I regret it
갈림길	a fork in the road; a crossroads, literal or figurative	뒤늦게 뛰어봐도 갈림길이 여러 개Even if I run after you too late, there are too many forks
눈길	a gaze; the direction of someone's eyes	사람들이 서로 눈길을 주고받는 데는Anywhere people exchange glances
의욕	drive; the will to get something done	의욕은 넘치는데I'm overflowing with drive, but
소질	a natural aptitude for something	음 소질이 있군Hmm, you've got a knack for this
쓸모	usefulness; what something is good for	쓸모가 있겠어That'll come in useful
흔하다	to be common; run-of-the-mill	어 미안해 흔해 다음 기회에Ah, sorry, too common — maybe next time
따분하다	to be dull and tedious	오늘과 같이 따분한 날a dull day like today
두근두근	with a pounding heart, from nerves or excitement (reduplicated 의태어 — keep both halves)	맘이 두근두근 거리면 거기가 내 자리야Wherever my heart pounds, that's my place
은하수	the Milky Way	은하수로 흘러갔을까Did it drift off into the Milky Way?
희미하다	to be faint; barely visible	저 하늘 희미하게 반짝이고 있는faintly glimmering up in that sky
화려하다	to be splendid; showy and brilliantly colored	화려한 무지개 너머beyond the brilliant rainbow
여우비	a sunshower — rain that falls while the sun is out; literally "fox rain"	여우비 소리에 묻혀buried under the sound of the sunshower
도둑눈	snow that falls overnight unnoticed; literally "thief snow"	한겨울밤 몰래 간 도둑눈에at the thief-snow that slipped by on a midwinter night
할까 말까	"should I or shouldn't I" — set pattern for dithering over a decision	할까 말까 고민 끝에after agonizing over whether to or not