BTS · Korean · 33 words

2 COOL 4 SKOOL

2 Cool 4 Skool is BTS's 2013 debut single album, made when they were still teenage trainees calling out Korea's school system and the pressure to give up on your own dreams. The four full Korean tracks range from the defiant boasting of "We Are Bulletproof Pt.2" and "No More Dream" to the petty heartbreak of scrolling an ex's photos in "좋아요" and the quiet self-doubt of the hidden track "길". You'll learn practical school-and-daily-life vocabulary, common verbs like 참다, 누르다 and 지내다, and the words BTS use to talk about dreams, reality and going your own way.

Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
내놓다	to hand over; to put out	이리 내놔Hand it over.
대신	instead of; in place of	학교 대신 연습실에서In the practice room instead of at school
밤새	all night long	매일 밤새 볼펜을 잡네Every night I'm holding a pen all night long.
놀다	to play; to hang out; to have fun	너희가 놀 때While you guys are out having fun
참다	to hold back; to put up with (something you'd rather give in to)	잠을 참아 가며fighting off sleep
무시하다	to ignore; to look down on someone	날 무시하던 많은 사람들All those people who used to look down on me
던지다	to throw	나만치 해 봤다면 돌을 던져If you've worked as hard as I have, then throw the stone.
겁	fear; being scared (겁이 없다 = to be fearless)	우린 겁이 없어We're not afraid of anything.
꿈	a dream (both while asleep and what you want from life)	네 꿈은 뭐니Hey, what's your dream?
편하다	to be comfortable; to be easy (of a life or situation)	난 참 편하게 살어I've got it pretty easy.
똑같다	to be exactly the same	똑같이 나처럼 생각하고 있어Everyone thinks exactly the same way I do.
걱정	worry; concern (걱정 마 = don't worry)	대학은 걱정 마Don't worry about college.
거울	a mirror	지금 네 거울 속엔 누가 보여Who do you see in your mirror right now?
물어보다	to ask (a question)	자신에게 물어봐Ask yourself.
거짓말	a lie	거짓말이야That's a lie.
제발	please (pleading or begging, not polite request)	제발 강요하진 말아 줘Please, stop forcing it on me.
좋아요	a “like” on a social media post	궁금해 보니 좋아요가 빛나I look you up out of curiosity, and the likes are glowing.
올리다	to put up; to post or upload	네가 올리는 모든 사진마다on every single photo you post
사진	a photo	새 남친과 찍은 사진 속in the photo taken with your new boyfriend
남자친구	boyfriend (shortened to 남친 in casual speech)	나 이제 남자친구 아니지Right, I'm not your boyfriend anymore.
신경 쓰다	to care about; to pay attention to; to mind	날 신경도 안 쓸 것 같어It feels like you wouldn't even care about me.
싫다	to dislike; to hate (that something is the case)	싫어 저 삼십 몇 명 중 하나가 되는 게I hate being just one of those thirty-something people.
누르다	to press; to click or tap	오늘도 좋아요를 누르지and today I hit “like” again
여전히	still; just as before	여전히 넌 좋아 보여You still look good.
지내다	to get by; to be doing (어떻게 지내? = how are you doing?)	너 요즘에 어떻게 지내고 있나I wonder how you're doing these days.
시작하다	to start; to begin	그저 춤이 좋아 시작했던I started out simply because I loved to dance.
망설이다	to hesitate; to waver over a decision	망설일 시간은 없다고saying there's no time to hesitate
지나가다	to pass by; to go by (of time)	3년이 지나갔어Three years went by.
현실	reality (often the hard, practical kind)	현실은 달랐고Reality was different,
어느새	before you know it; somehow already	어느새 커버린 어린이가 됐어Before I knew it, I'd become a kid who had grown up.
혼자	alone; by oneself	혼자인 줄 알았는데 알고 보니 일곱I thought I was alone, but it turned out there were seven of us.
다르다	to be different	다른 길을 택했다면if I had taken a different path
길	a road or path; also the path one takes in life	이 길의 끝에서at the end of this path