그래 늦지 않았어 – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: 아샤트리, 이예은, 전건호
• Album: 그래 늦지 않았어 (2025)

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the emotive storytelling of Korean ballads through “그래 늦지 않았어.” This song is a great opportunity to learn expressive vocabulary related to love, friendship, and regret. Its clear narrative and heartfelt delivery make the lyrics easier to follow, helping you to understand the nuances of Korean emotional expression in music.

[English]

I didn’t know

Please forgive me

Lately you’ve been

leaning on alcohol

unable to speak

and hurting

I didn’t know the reason

I never realized it was me

For a while

you were in love

and had broken up, so

you missed the one who left you

I thought that was why

I blamed it on that

Today, by chance

I went to see you

and saw on your desk

a photo lying there

The person who called you a fool

turned out

to be me

I was so surprised

I love you

Why couldn’t I say it until now?

How much

I’ve waited to hear those words

It’s still not too late

Don’t say you’re sorry

Let’s start now

for our love

...

I love you

Why couldn’t I say it until now?

How much

I’ve been waiting for those words

It’s still not too late

Don’t say you’re sorry

Let’s begin

for our love

...

[Korean]

몰랐었어

나를 용서해

요즘 네가

술에 기대어

말 못하고

아파했던

이유가

나인 줄은 몰랐어

한동안

넌 사랑을 하고

이별한 걸 알았기에

너를 떠난

그 사람이 그리워

그 탓인 줄 알았어

오늘 후연히

너를 찾아가

책상 위에

놓여진 사진을 보고

너를 바보

한케 했던 사람이

바로 나였다는 게

난 놀랐으러워

널 사랑한다고

지금까지 왜 말 못했어

나 얼마나

그 말을 기다렸는데

그래 늦지 않았어

미안하단 말은 하지 마

이제 시작해

우리 사랑을

위해

널 사랑한다고

지금까지 왜 말 못했어

나 얼마나

그 말을 기다렸는데

그래 늦지 않았어

미안하단 말은 하지 마

이제 시작해

우리 사랑을

위해

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
사랑 /saɾaŋ/ A1	noun - love
늦지 /nutchɪ/ A2	adjective - not late
용서 /joŋsʌ/ A2	noun - forgiveness
기대 /gidɛ/ B1	noun - expectation verb - to lean on
이별 /ibyeol/ B1	noun - breakup
그리워 /ɡɾiwoɾa/ B1	verb - to miss
후회 /huʰwe/ B1	noun - regret
바보 /babo/ A2	noun - fool
놀라 /noɭɭa/ B1	verb - to be surprised
시작 /sijak/ A2	noun - beginning
미안 /mijan/ A2	adjective - sorry
기다리다 /gidarida/ A2	verb - to wait
떠나 /tʰʌna/ B1	verb - to leave
아파 /apa/ A2	verb - to hurt
사진 /sajin/ A1	noun - photo

Key Grammar Structures

• [translate:나를 용서해]

  ➔ Imperative form (-해)

  ➔ The phrase '용서해' comes from '용서하다' (to forgive) and ends with '-해', which makes it an informal imperative meaning 'forgive (me)'.

• [translate:이유가 나인 줄은 몰랐어]

  ➔ Noun + '인 줄 알다/모르다'

  ➔ '인 줄 몰랐어' means 'didn’t know that (something) is (something)'. Here, '나인 줄 몰랐어' means 'I didn’t know it was me'.

• [translate:넌 사랑을 하고 이별한 걸 알았기에]

  ➔ Verb + '-기에' (because, since)

  ➔ '알았기에' from '알다' + '-기에', means 'because I knew'. It expresses a reason for the following action or state.

• [translate:오늘 우연히 너를 찾아가]

  ➔ Verb + '-아/어 가다' (go and do, movement + action)

  ➔ '찾아가다' combines '찾다' (to look for) and '가다' (to go), meaning 'to go to see' or 'visit someone'.

• [translate:놓여진 사진을 보고]

  ➔ Passive form + '-어진/여진'

  ➔ '놓여진' is the passive form of '놓다' (to put), meaning 'that was placed'. It describes the state of something being laid down or positioned.

• [translate:난 놀랐으러워]

  ➔ Adjective conjugation (-았/었-/했- + 아/어/워요)

  ➔ '놀랐으러워' (likely '놀라서 미안해' typo variant) shows past tense adjective conjugation used to express emotional reaction: 'was surprised'.

• [translate:널 사랑한다고 지금까지 왜 말 못했어]

  ➔ Quotative form + '-ㄴ/는다고'

  ➔ '사랑한다고' conveys indirect quotation: 'that (I) love (you)'. It’s how you quote or refer to what someone said or felt.

• [translate:그래 늦지 않았어]

  ➔ Negative past + '-지 않다'

  ➔ '늦지 않았어' means 'it’s not late'. The structure combines '늦다' + '-지 않다' in past tense to mean 'was not late / is not too late'.

• [translate:이제 시작해 우리 사랑을 위해]

  ➔ Noun + '-을/를 위해' (for, for the sake of)

  ➔ '우리 사랑을 위해' means 'for our love'. This grammar expresses doing something for a cause, person, or purpose.