Seesaw – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: BTS (방탄소년단) SUGA
• Album: LOVE YOURSELF 結 'Answer'

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and 'Seesaw' by SUGA is a great song for Korean learners. The song's introspective lyrics and clear pronunciation can help with vocabulary related to emotions and relationships. The contrast between the slower verses and faster chorus provides a dynamic listening experience for language practice. What makes this song special is its relatable and mature theme, which can spark deeper conversations and cultural understanding.

[English]

(suga)

The beginning was pretty fun, you know

Going up and down, that's what it was

Before we knew it, we got tired of each other

It's just pointless emotional drain

Repeated seesaw seesaw game

Now we've reached the point of being annoyed, so annoyed

Repeated seesaw seesaw game, we're tired of each other, so annoyed

Started with small arguments, maybe? The moment I became heavier than you

Since balance never existed in the first place, was it greed to try to match it?

It was love, if this is what the word love means itself

Is there really a need to keep repeating it?

We're both tired, holding the same cards

It seems like that, so what

All right, repeated seesaw game

Now we're finally trying to end it

All right, annoying seesaw game

Someone has to get off here, it's not in order, but

Without wondering who's getting off or not

Just follow your heart, don't drag it out

Now decide whether to get off or not, let's end it

This repeating seesaw game, just stop it now

People are really sneaky, aren't they?

Knowing that without one, you'd get hurt

Not wanting to be the bad guy to each other

Continuously shifting vague responsibilities, umm umm

We've gotten so tired we've become balanced instead

Ay

This isn't the balance we wanted

At first, bragging about who's heavier

Looking at each other and laughing

It's become the spark for fights instead

It's become the spark for fights instead

Someone has to eventually get off here for it to end

Pretending to care for each other with hypocrisy mixed in

No more, now we have to decide

If we don't have hearts for each other, if we don't think about each other

Would we have dragged it out like this?

Now if there's no heart left

This seesaw is dangerous, dangerous

Don't think more, please

All right, repeated seesaw game

Now we're finally trying to end it

All right, annoying seesaw game

Someone has to get off here, it's not in order, but

(Hol' up Hol' up)

Walking on this seesaw without you

(Hol' up Hol' up)

Like when there was no you in the beginning

(Hol' up Hol' up)

Walking on this seesaw without you

(Hol' up Hol' up)

Getting off this seesaw without you

All right, repeated seesaw game, now we're finally trying to end it

All right, annoying seesaw game

Someone has to get off here, it's not in order, but

Without wondering who's getting off or not

Without reading each other's cues

Just follow your heart, don't drag it out

Now decide whether to get off or not

Let's end it

This repeating seesaw game, just stop it now

(Hol' up Hol' up)

Walking on this seesaw without you

(Hol' up Hol' up)

Like when there was no you in the beginning

(Hol' up Hol' up)

Walking on this seesaw without you

(Hol' up Hol' up)

Getting off this seesaw without you

[Korean]

(suga)

시작은 뭐 즐거웠었네

오르락 내리락 그 자체로

어느새 서로 지쳐 버렸네

의미 없는 감정소모에

반복된 시소 시소게임

이쯤 되니 지겨워 지겨워 졌네

반복된 시소 시소게임 우린 서로 지쳐서 지겨워 졌네

사소한 말다툼이 시작이었을까 내가 너보다 무거워졌었던 순간

애초에 평행은 존재한 적이 없기에 더욱이 욕심내서 맞추려 했을까

사랑이었고 이게 사랑이란 단어의 자체면

굳이 반복해야 할 필요 있을까

서로 지쳤고 같은 카드를

쥐고 있는 듯해 그렇다면 뭐

All right 반복된 시소게임

이제서야 끝을 내보려 해

All right 지겨운 시소게임

누군간 여기서 내려야 돼 할 순 없지만

누가 내릴지 말진 서로 눈치 말고

그저 맘 가는 대로 질질 끌지 말고

이젠 내릴지 말지 끝을 내보자고

반복되는 시소게임 이젠 그만해

사람이 참 간사하긴 하지

한 명이 없음 다칠 걸 알면서

서로 나쁜 새낀 되기 싫기에

애매한 책임전가의 연속에 umm umm

지칠 만큼 지쳐서 되려 평행이 됐네

Ay

이런 평행을 바란 건 아닌데

처음에는 누가 더 무거운지 자랑하며

서롤 바라보며 웃지

이제는 누가 무거운지를 두고

경쟁을 하게 되었네 되려 싸움의 불씨

누군가는 결국 이곳에서 내려야 끝이 날 듯하네

가식 섞인 서롤 위하는 척

더는 말고 이젠 결정해야 돼

서로 마음이 없다면 서롤 생각 안 했다면

우리가 이리도 질질 끌었을까

이제 마음이 없다면

이 시소 위는 위험해 위험해

내 생각 더는 말고

All right 반복된 시소게임

이제서야 끝을 내보려 해

All right 지겨운 시소게임

누군간 여기서 내려야 돼 할 순 없지만

(HOl' up Hol' up)

니가 없는 이 시소 위를 걸어

(Hol'up Hol'up)

니가 없던 처음의 그때처럼

(Hol'up Hol'up)

니가 없는 이 시소 위를 걸어

(Hol'up Hol'up)

니가 없는 이 시소에서 내려

All right 반복된 시소게임 이제서야 끝을 내보려 해

All right 지겨운 시소게임

누군간 여기서 내려야 돼 할 순 없지만

누가 내릴지 말진

서로 눈치 말고

그저 맘 가는 대로 질질 끌지 말고

이젠 내릴지 말지

끝을 내보자고

반복되는 시소게임 이젠 그만해

(Hol'up Hol'up)

니가 없는 이 시소 위를 걸어

(Hol'up Hol'up)

니가 없던 처음의 그때처럼

(Hol'up Hol'up)

니가 없는 이 시소 위를 걸어

(Hol'up Hol'up)

니가 없는 이 시소에서 내려

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
시소 /ɕi.so/ C1	noun - seesaw; a board balanced on a fulcrum that tilts up and down
반복 /pan.bok/ B2	noun - repetition; the act of doing something over and over
지치다 /tɕi.tɕi.da/ B1	verb - to become exhausted, to get tired
무겁다 /mu.gʌp.t͈a/ A2	adjective - heavy; having a lot of weight or burden
평행 /pʰjʌŋ.hɛŋ/ B2	noun - parallel; lines or planes that are the same distance apart and never meet
경쟁 /kjjɛŋ.gje/ B2	noun - competition; a contest or rivalry
위험 /wi.rɯm/ B1	noun - danger; the possibility of harm or loss
결정 /kjʌŋ.djʊl/ B2	noun - decision; a conclusion or resolution after consideration
책임 /tɕɛ.ɡim/ C1	noun - responsibility; the duty to take care of something or someone
사람 /sa.ɾam/ A1	noun - person; a human being
마음 /ma.ɯm/ B1	noun - mind, heart; feelings or thoughts
눈치 /nu.nʨʰi/ C1	noun - tact, sense of the situation; ability to read the atmosphere
끌다 /k͈ɯl.da/ B1	verb - to pull, to drag
내리다 /nɛ.ɾi.da/ B2	verb - to descend, to bring down
걷다 /kɒt͈a/ A1	verb - to walk
시작 /ɕi.d͡ʑak/ A1	noun - beginning, start
끝 /k͈ɯt/ A1	noun - end, finish
사랑 /sa.ɾaŋ/ A1	noun - love
게임 /ge.im/ A1	noun - game; a structured form of play or competition

Key Grammar Structures

• 시작은 뭐 즐거웠었네

  ➔ Past perfective aspect with -았었- plus informal sentence-ending -네

  ➔ The word "즐거웠었네" shows a past perfective nuance using "-았었-" with the casual ending "-네" to reflect on a previous feeling.

• 애초에 평행은 존재한 적이 없기에

  ➔ Experience noun + 적 + 있다/없다 + 에기 reason clause

  ➔ The phrase "존재한 적이 없다기에" uses the experiential marker "적" with "없다" and the conjunction "기에" to give a reason: "because there has never existed".

• 사랑이었고 이게 사랑이란 단어의 자체면

  ➔ "란" as a quotative/definitional marker; "자체면" uses -면 conditional

  ➔ The construction "사랑이란 단어의 자체면" uses "란" to define what love is, and "자체면" with -면 to express a conditional notion tied to the concept.

• 굳이 반복해야 할 필요가

  ➔ "할 필요가" expresses necessity; noun + 필요 + to do verb

  ➔ The phrase "할 필요가" is the noun 필요 + subject marker 가, forming the structure for stating necessity: "need to (do)".

• 서로 마음이 없다면 서롤 생각 안 했다면

  ➔ Conditional form -다면 to express hypothetical conditions

  ➔ The use of "-다면" twice shows hypothetical conditions like "if there is no heart, then ..." or "if we didn't think of each other".

• 누군가는 결국 이곳에서 내려야 끝이 날 듯하네

  ➔ "듯하네" expresses inference; casual form of 듯하다

  ➔ The ending "-듯하네" conveys a guess about the situation: "it seems that someone will have to leave here to end it."

• 지칠 만큼 지쳐서 되려 평행이 됐네

  ➔ "만큼" expresses degree; "되려" indicates contrastive outcome

  ➔ The phrase "지칠 만큼 지쳐서" uses "만큼" to show extent (to the point of exhaustion), and "되려" to signal an unexpected twist—becoming parallel instead of uniting.

• 이젠 내릴지 말지 끝을 내보자고

  ➔ "지 말지" expresses inner deliberation about whether to do something

  ➔ The form "-지 말지" is used to weigh the decision, literally asking oneself whether to do something: "whether to get off or not".

• 이 시소 위는 위험해

  ➔ Topic marker 은/는 with location word 위; adjectives

  ➔ The phrase "이 시소 위는 위험해" uses the topic marker "은/는" to switch focus to the location, with "위" meaning on/over the seesaw and an adjective indicating danger.