IU · Korean · 30 words

Love poem

Love poem (2019) was written in a difficult year and is addressed, mostly, to someone who is struggling. Its best-known track Blueming is a song about texting someone you like, so it carries unusually current, everyday language. The rest of the set leans quiet and consoling — waiting, keeping someone company, telling them to put something down.

Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
무수하다	to be countless, to be innumerable	밤하늘에 무수한 별이 떠 있어요.Countless stars are out in the night sky.
비틀거리다	to stagger, to wobble on one's feet	너무 피곤해서 조금 비틀거렸어요.I was so tired that I staggered a little.
또박또박	steadily, one step at a time; clearly and distinctly	넘어져도 또박또박 다시 걸어요.Even if I fall, I walk on again, one steady step at a time.
더디다	to be slow, to take longer than expected	회복이 생각보다 더디네요.The recovery is slower than I expected.
도망치다	to run away, to flee	문제를 보고 도망치면 안 돼요.You shouldn't run away from a problem.
부끄럽다	to be embarrassed; to be shy	칭찬을 들으니 좀 부끄러웠어요.I felt a bit embarrassed at the compliment.
발자국	a footprint	눈 위에 발자국이 남았어요.Footprints were left in the snow.
밀어내다	to push away, to push something out	자꾸 밀어내지 말고 얘기해요.Stop pushing me away and talk to me.
마주치다	to run into someone, to meet by chance	복도에서 선생님과 마주쳤어요.I ran into my teacher in the corridor.
미묘하다	to be subtle, to be hard to put a finger on	두 색깔의 차이가 아주 미묘해요.The difference between the two colours is very subtle.
향기	a scent, a fragrance	방 안에 커피 향기가 가득해요.The room is full of the scent of coffee.
해석	an interpretation, a reading of something	그 문장은 해석이 여러 가지예요.That sentence has several possible readings.
금세	in no time, right away	약을 먹으니 금세 나아졌어요.I took the medicine and felt better in no time.
송이	a counter for flowers, a single bloom	장미 한 송이를 사서 왔어요.I bought a single rose and brought it home.
기울어지다	to lean, to tilt to one side	액자가 한쪽으로 기울어졌어요.The picture frame has tilted to one side.
차오르다	to fill up, to rise gradually	욕조에 물이 천천히 차올라요.The bath is slowly filling with water.
괄호	brackets, parentheses	설명은 괄호 안에 넣어 주세요.Please put the explanation in brackets.
기록하다	to record, to write down	매일 날씨를 수첩에 기록해요.I record the weather in my notebook every day.
되찾다	to get back, to recover something lost	잃어버린 우산을 되찾았어요.I got back the umbrella I'd lost.
쫓다	to chase, to pursue	강아지가 공을 쫓아 뛰어가요.The puppy runs after the ball.
비로소	only then, finally	설명을 듣고 비로소 이해했어요.Only after the explanation did I finally understand.
끌어안다	to hold close, to clutch to oneself	베개를 끌어안고 잠들었어요.I fell asleep holding a pillow close.
잦아들다	to die down, to subside	저녁이 되니 바람이 잦아들었어요.The wind died down towards evening.
소란하다	to be noisy, to be in an uproar	밖이 소란해서 잠을 설쳤어요.It was noisy outside so I slept badly.
재우다	to put someone to sleep	아기를 재우고 나서 청소했어요.I cleaned up after putting the baby to sleep.
숨죽이다	to hold one's breath, to keep very quiet	숨죽이고 결과를 기다렸어요.I held my breath and waited for the result.
고요하다	to be still, to be hushed	새벽 거리가 아주 고요했어요.The streets at dawn were very still.
유난히	unusually, particularly	오늘은 유난히 바람이 세요.The wind is unusually strong today.
그치다	to stop, to let up	비가 그치면 산책하러 나가요.Let's go for a walk when the rain lets up.
지켜보다	to watch over, to watch closely	옆에서 조용히 지켜보고 있었어요.I was quietly watching from nearby.