Hippo – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: LUCY
• Album: WAJANGCHANG

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic way to connect with culture, and LUCY's "Hippo" is a perfect song for Korean learners. Its narrative-driven lyrics, which use the clever metaphor of a hippo to describe intrusive memories of a past love, offer a great opportunity to learn descriptive vocabulary and emotional expressions in a relatable context. The song's unique blend of indie rock and jazz, along with its charming animated music video, makes for an engaging and memorable learning experience.

[English]

A hippo suddenly appears on TV in a documentary

What is this strange, uneasy feeling?

It keeps popping up when I think I’ve forgotten

It always makes sure to leave a lasting impression

(Hippo) Why are you suddenly there?

(Hippo) You’re stealing my attention

I don’t want to get attached anymore

Disappear from my sight, further and further away

If I keep going like this, I’ll remember that day

Not that person, but you, you, you, only you

Here and there, “Wag!” and “Wag!”

Eyes that say they didn’t mean to startle me

Here and there, “Wag!” and “Wag!”

So I just run away (as expected, “Kyaah!”)

Here and there, “Wag!” and “Wag!”

As if to tease my timid heart

I feel like it’ll even appear in my dreams

A hippo wandering around in my head

That smile keeps circling around

Your voice rings in my ears

That scent, like the world has opened up

I turned away without being able to say a word

If I could go back to that time in the future

Let me see you, not that smiling hippo behind you

Let me see you instead

It’s not that you were losing to that person at all

If you look closely, you’ll see you were shy in front of that hippo you fell for at first sight

(Hippo) Maybe you’ll talk to me

(Hippo) Maybe you’ll jump out of the picture

My lips tremble, “Uh-huh-huh-huh”

I’m frustrated, frustrated, frustrated

I’m frustrated, frustrated, frus-frus-

Singing it out

Here and there, “Wag!” and “Wag!”

Could it be that you’re trying to cheer me on?

I rack my brain, but

I can’t remember anything because of you, hippo

That expression with a smile (that expression), oh

Your voice rings in my ears

That scent, like the world has opened up (the same) (your scent)

I turned away without being able to say a word

If I could go back to that time in the future (that future)

Let me see you, not that smiling hippo behind you

Let me see you instead

...

[Korean]

눈앞에 하마가 왁 TV에 documentary

괜히 쎄한 이 기분은 뭔데?

잊을만하면 매번 튀어나와

눈 도장을 꼭 찍고 가지

(Hippo) 왜 뜬금없이 거기 있는데

(Hippo) 시선을 뺏어가는 건데

더는 정 줄 생각 없으니

내 눈앞에서 멀리, 더 멀리 사라져 줘

이대론 그날을 떠올리면

그 사람 말고 꼭 네가, 네가, 네가 너만

여기다 왁, 하고 저기다 왁

놀래킬 맘은 없었다는 눈

여기다 왁, 하고 저기다 왁

하니 도망가지 뭐 (당연하게도 꺅)

여기다 왁, 하고 저기다 왁

나의 소심을 놀리려는 듯

이러다 꿈에도 나올 것 같이

돌아다녀 내 머릿속에 하마가

자꾸 맴돌아 그 앞에 미소가

내 귓가에 너의 목소리

세상이 활짝 열린 것 같은 그 향기가

말 한마디 못 걸어보곤 뒤 돌았던

그 시간에 돌아가는 미래엔

너의 뒤에 걸려있던 그 웃는 하마가

아닌 너를 보게 해줘

절대로 그 사람이 네게 밀린 게 아냐

너도 첫눈에 반한 하마 앞에 부끄러워져 보면 알아

(Hippo) 혹시 내게 말을 걸까 봐

(Hippo) 그림을 찢고 나올까 봐

입이 떨려 어버버버버

나도 답답해, 답답해, 답답해

내가 답답해, 답답해, 답, 답

Singing it out

여기다 왁, 하고 저기다 왁

혹시 날 응원해 주려는 건

아닐까 하고 머리를 써봐도

너 때문에 기억이 나질 않잖아 하마야

미소를 담은 그 표정이 (표정이), oh

내 귓가에 너의 목소리

세상이 활짝 열린 것 같은 (같은) 그 향기가 (너의 향기가)

말 한마디 못 걸어보곤 뒤 돌았던

그 시간에 돌아가는 미래엔 (그 미래엔)

너의 뒤에 걸려있던 그 웃는 하마가

아닌 너를 보게 해줘

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
하마 /ˈha̠ːma̠/ A1	noun - hippopotamus
눈 /nun/ A1	noun - eye
기분 /ˈkibuːn/ A2	noun - feeling, mood
생각 /ˈsɛŋɡak/ A2	noun - thought, idea verb - to think
사람 /ˈsʰa̠ɾa̠m/ A1	noun - person
미소 /ˈmiso/ B1	noun - smile
목소리 /ˈmoks͈oɾi/ B1	noun - voice
세상 /ˈsʰe̞sʰa̠ŋ/ A2	noun - world
향기 /ˈçjaŋɡi/ B1	noun - fragrance, scent
시간 /ˈɕʰiɡa̠n/ A1	noun - time
미래 /ˈmiɾe/ A2	noun - future
꿈 /k͈um/ A2	noun - dream
기억 /ˈkiːək/ B1	noun - memory
표정 /ˈpʰjoːdʑʌŋ/ B1	noun - expression
사라지다 /ˈsʰa̠ɾa̠d͡ʑida̠/ B1	verb - disappear

Key Grammar Structures

• 잊을만하면 매번 튀어나와

  ➔ Conditional '-(으)ㄹ만 하면' (whenever)

  ➔ In the sentence "잊을**만하면** 매번 튀어나와", the pattern "-ㄹ만 하면" means "whenever" or "as soon as".

• 눈 도장을 꼭 찍고 가지

  ➔ Connector '-고 가다' (do something and go)

  ➔ In "눈 도장을 꼭 찍**고** 가지", the particle "-고" links two actions, and "가다" indicates moving away after the first action.

• (Hippo) 왜 뜨금없이 거기 있는데

  ➔ Background connector '-는데' (provides background info)

  ➔ The ending "거기 있**는데**" uses "-는데" to give a background statement before the main clause.

• 더는 정 줄 생각 없으니

  ➔ Reason connector '-으니' (because, since)

  ➔ In "정 줄 생각 없**으니**", "-으니" shows the speaker's reason for the preceding statement.

• 내 눈앞에서 멀리, 더 멀리 사라져 줘

  ➔ Polite request '-아/어 주다' (do something for someone)

  ➔ The verb "사라져 **줘**" uses "-아/어 주다" to politely ask the listener to make the subject disappear.

• 이러다 꿈에도 나올 것 같이

  ➔ Speculative '-ㄹ 것 같다' (seems like, probably)

  ➔ The phrase "나올 **것 같이**" contains "-ㄹ 것 같다", expressing a conjecture that something might appear in a dream.

• 말 한마디 못 걸어보곤 뒤 돌았던

  ➔ Repetitive '-곤 하다' (used to describe repeated or habitual actions)

  ➔ In "걸어보**곤**" the suffix "-곤 하다" shows that the speaker repeatedly tried to start a conversation but kept turning away.

• (Hippo) 혹시 내게 말을 걸까 봐

  ➔ Tentative '-ㄹ까 봐' (fear that something might happen)

  ➔ The phrase "걸**ㄹ까 봐**" uses "-ㄹ까 봐" to express the speaker's anxiety that the other person might start a conversation.

• 너 때문에 기억이 나지 않잖아 하마야

  ➔ Negation '-지 않다' + confirmation '-잖아' (asserting a negative fact)

  ➔ The clause "기억이 **나지 않잖아**" combines "-지 않다" (do not) with "-잖아" to stress that the memory really does not come back.

• 너도 첫눈에 반한 하마 앞에 부끄러워져 보면 알아

  ➔ Attempt '-아 보다' (try to do) + conditional '-면' (if)

  ➔ The segment "부끄러워져 **보면**" uses "-아 보다" to suggest trying to feel embarrassed, and "**보면**" (from "-면") adds the condition "if you try".