I.O.I · Korean · 23 words
I.O.I : LOOP
I.O.I's 2026 reunion: the mini album I.O.I : LOOP and its pre-release "웃으며 안녕", a farewell song the group recorded back in 2016. Nearly ten years on, the songs look back, with memories that return out of nowhere late at night and a promise to meet again after the rain. The vocabulary is the language of nostalgia: lingering attachment, fading memories, longing, and things that are still the same.
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 뒤돌아보다 | to look back | 헤어지고 나서 한 번도 뒤돌아보지 않았어요.After we parted, I never once looked back. |
| 텅 비다 | to be completely empty | 친구들이 다 떠나고 교실이 텅 비었어요.My friends all left and the classroom was completely empty. |
| 향기 | scent, fragrance | 방 안에 꽃 향기가 가득해요.The room is full of the scent of flowers. |
| 맴돌다 | to hover around, to keep circling | 그 말이 계속 머릿속을 맴돌아요.Those words keep going round in my head. |
| 미련 | lingering attachment, inability to let go | 이제 그 일에는 미련이 없어요.I have no lingering attachment to that any more. |
| 멍하니 | blankly, absent-mindedly | 창밖을 멍하니 바라보고 있었어요.I was staring blankly out of the window. |
| 갑자기 | suddenly, out of nowhere | 갑자기 옛날 생각이 났어요.Out of nowhere, I started thinking about the old days. |
| 노을 | sunset glow | 바닷가에서 노을을 보면서 걸었어요.I walked along the beach watching the sunset glow. |
| 희미하다 | to be faint, to be dim | 어릴 때 기억은 이제 희미해요.My childhood memories are faint now. |
| 그리움 | longing, missing someone | 고향에 대한 그리움이 점점 커져요.My longing for my hometown keeps growing. |
| 애쓰다 | to try hard, to make an effort | 잊으려고 애쓸수록 더 생각나요.The harder I try to forget, the more I think of it. |
| 아른거리다 | to flicker before one's eyes, to keep coming back to mind | 눈을 감으면 그 얼굴이 아른거려요.When I close my eyes, that face keeps flickering before me. |
| 습관 | habit | 자기 전에 일기를 쓰는 습관이 있어요.I have a habit of writing in my diary before bed. |
| 해질녘 | dusk, around sunset | 해질녘에 강변을 걸으면 기분이 좋아요.Walking by the river at dusk puts me in a good mood. |
| 가리키다 | to point to, to indicate | 시계가 벌써 자정을 가리키고 있어요.The clock is already pointing to midnight. |
| 멀어지다 | to grow distant, to drift apart | 이사한 뒤로 친구와 조금 멀어졌어요.Since I moved, my friend and I have drifted apart a little. |
| 어른 | adult, grown-up | 어른이 되면 다 알 줄 알았어요.I thought I'd understand everything once I grew up. |
| 포근히 | snugly, cosily | 아기가 엄마 품에서 포근히 자고 있어요.The baby is sleeping snugly in its mother's arms. |
| 여전하다 | to be unchanged, to be the same as ever | 십 년 만에 만났는데 웃는 모습이 여전하네요.We met after ten years, and your smile is the same as ever. |
| 찬란하다 | to be brilliant, to be radiant | 그때가 우리 인생에서 가장 찬란한 시절이었어요.That was the most radiant time of our lives. |
| 이루어지다 | to come true, to be fulfilled | 올해는 네 소원이 꼭 이루어지면 좋겠어.I hope your wish really comes true this year. |
| 운명 | fate, destiny | 우리가 다시 만난 건 운명 같아요.Our meeting again feels like fate. |
| 눈부시다 | to be dazzling | 오늘은 햇빛이 눈부셔서 선글라스를 썼어요.The sunlight was dazzling today, so I wore sunglasses. |
More from I.O.I
Study "I.O.I : LOOP" in the app
Import all 23 words in one tap. Lanma schedules the reviews, plays the pronunciation, and puts you on air to use them in a live voice conversation.
