N.O – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: BTS
• Album: O!RUL8,2?

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a gateway to understanding a new culture, and BTS's “N.O” offers a powerful entry point into the realities faced by South Korean youth. Through this song, you can learn vocabulary related to dreams, societal pressure, and education, all while experiencing the raw energy of early BTS. “N.O” is special because it's more than just a song; it's a social commentary and a declaration of independence that resonated with a generation.

[English]

Can a good house and a good car really bring happiness?

In Seoul to the sky, will my parents really be happy?

I've lost my dreams

Without a moment to breathe

It's all just school and home or the PC room, a never-ending cycle

Living the same lives, forced to be the best

The student receiving this is a double agent between dreams and reality

Who turned us into studying machines?

If you're not the best, you're considered a dropout

It's easy to accept that it's the adults who put us in this box

There's no choice but to think simply, under the law of the jungle

Who do you think made us step on our close friends to get ahead, what?

Adults tell me that the hard times are only now

To endure a little longer, to do it later

Everybody say NO!

No more can we say "later"

No more living trapped in someone else's dream

We roll (We roll) We roll (We roll) We roll

Everybody say NO!

It really has to be now or never

I haven't done anything yet

We roll (We roll) We roll (We roll) We roll

Everybody say NO!

Can a good house and a good car really bring happiness?

In Seoul to the sky, will my parents really be happy?

I want to play and eat

I want to rip my school uniform

Make money, good money

Already getting sideways glances

My bank account is just vague, my unhappiness is over the limit

The sighs of studying, a factory of endless borrowing

The confessions of adults, they say you have it easy

Overflowing with happiness, then what does that make me, so unhappy?

There's no topic of conversation other than studying, outside there are so many like me

The same puppet life, who will take responsibility for it?

Adults tell me that the hard times are only now

To endure a little longer, to do it later

Everybody say NO!

No more can we say "later"

No more living trapped in someone else's dream

We roll (We roll) We roll (We roll) We roll

Everybody say NO!

It really has to be now or never

I haven't done anything yet

We roll (We roll) We roll (We roll) We roll

Everybody say NO!

...

Everybody say NO!

...

Everybody say NO!

...

Everybody say NO!

...

Everybody say NO!

...

[Korean]

좋은 집 좋은 차 그런 게 행복일 수 있을까?

In Seoul to the sky, 부모님은 정말 행복해질까?

꿈 없어졌지

숨 쉴 틈도 없이

학교와 집 아니면 피씨방이 다인 쳇바퀴

같은 삶들을 살며 일등을 강요

받는 학생은 꿈과 현실 사이의 이중간첩

우릴 공부하는 기계로 만든 건 누구?

일등이 아니면 낙오로 구분

짓게 만든 건 틀에 가둔 건 어른이란 걸 쉽게 수긍

할 수밖에 단순하게 생각해도 약육강식 아래

친한 친구도 밟고 올라서게 만든 게 누구라 생각해 what?

어른들은 내게 말하지 힘든 건 지금뿐이라고

조금 더 참으라고 나중에 하라고

Everybody say NO!

더는 나중이란 말로 안돼

더는 남의 꿈에 갇혀 살지 마

We roll (We roll) We roll (We roll) We roll

Everybody say NO!

정말 지금이 아니면 안돼

아직 아무것도 해본 게 없잖아

We roll (We roll) We roll (We roll) We roll

Everybody say NO!

좋은 집 좋은 차 그런 게 행복일 수 있을까?

In Seoul to the sky, 부모님은 정말 행복해질까?

놀고 먹고 싶어

교복 찢고 싶어

Make money good money

벌써 삐딱한 시선

막연함뿐인 통장 내 불행은 한도초과지

공부하는 한숨 공장 계속되는 돌려막기

어른들이 하는 고백 너넨 참 편한 거래

분에 넘치게 행복한 거래 그럼 이렇게도 불행한 나는 뭔데

공부 외엔 대화주제가 없어 밖엔 나 같은 애가 넘쳐

똑같은 꼭두각시 인생 도대체 누가 책임져줘?

어른들은 내게 말하지 힘든 건 지금뿐이라고

조금 더 참으라고 나중에 하라고

Everybody say NO!

더는 나중이란 말로 안돼

더는 남의 꿈에 갇혀 살지 마

We roll (We roll) We roll (We roll) We roll

Everybody say NO!

정말 지금이 아니면 안돼

아직 아무것도 해본 게 없잖아

We roll (We roll) We roll (We roll) We roll

Everybody say NO!

Everybody say NO!

Everybody say NO!

Everybody say NO!

Everybody say NO!

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
행복 /haeng-bok/ A2	noun - happiness
집 /jip/ A1	noun - house, home
차 /tɕa/ A1	noun - car
행복일 /haeng-bok-il/ B1	noun - happiness (as a condition or state)
서울 /sʌ.ul/ A2	noun - Seoul (capital city of South Korea)
꿈 /kkum/ A2	noun - dream
학교 /hak-gyo/ A1	noun - school
공부 /gong-bu/ A2	noun - studying, learning
생각 /saeng-gak/ A2	noun - thought, idea
몫 /mok/ B2	noun - share, portion
인생 /in-saeng/ B1	noun - life
책임 /chae-gim/ B2	noun - responsibility
거래 /geo-rae/ B2	noun - deal, transaction
불행 /bul-haeng/ B2	noun - unhappiness, misfortune
책 /chaek/ A1	noun - book

Key Grammar Structures

• 좋은 집 좋은 차 그런 게 행복일 수 있을까?

  ➔ Use of 'can' to express possibility (can I?)

  ➔ '수 있을까?' is a question form with '수 있다' meaning 'to be able to', expressing possibility.

• 더는 나중이란 말로 안돼

  ➔ Use of '더는' to indicate 'anymore' or 'no longer'

  ➔ '더는' expresses 'anymore' or 'no longer' in context, indicating that something should stop or isn't possible anymore.

• 아직 아무것도 해본 게 없잖아

  ➔ Use of '아무것도 해본 게 없다' to express 'haven't tried anything yet'

  ➔ '해본 게 없다' uses the verb '하다' (to do) in past tense form with '게 없다' to mean 'have not done anything.'

• 공부하는 한숨 공장 계속되는 돌려막기

  ➔ Use of the present participle and noun combination to describe ongoing or repetitive actions

  ➔ '공부하는' is a present participle of '공부하다' (to study), describing the act of studying, and '계속되는' is a form indicating ongoing continuity.

• 분에 넘치게 행복한 거래 그럼 이렇게도 불행한 나는 뭔데

  ➔ Use of the comparative form '넘치게' to mean 'overflowing with happiness'

  ➔ '넘치게' is an adverb derived from '넘치다' meaning 'to overflow,' used here to describe happiness overflowing.

• What?

  ➔ Use of 'What?' as an interrogative to seek clarification or express surprise

  ➔ 'What?' is a simple question word used here to express confusion, surprise, or to seek clarification.

• Everybody say NO!

  ➔ Imperative sentence with an exclamatory tone to give a command or encouragement

  ➔ An imperative command, 'say NO!', encourages or instructs people to refuse or oppose something strongly.