TOMBOY – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: HYUKOH
• Album: 23

Lyrics & Translation

Learning Korean through “TOMBOY” offers a unique window into the contemporary struggles and emotions of South Korean youth. The song's introspective and honest lyrics, paired with its emotive melody, provide a rich context for understanding nuanced expressions of feeling and societal pressures. What makes “TOMBOY” special is its universal message of navigating the confusing path to adulthood, making it a relatable and moving piece for language learners worldwide.

[English]

I feel awkward about the love my mom always gave me

Is that why it’s always so hard?

Even in the greed that I was afraid to lose

There’s a little beauty

I’m happy now, but that makes me anxious

The sea before a storm is always calm

If the fire ignites, it shouldn’t burn too fast

I support love

In our youth, the rings of time are hard to see

Blinded by the brilliant light, it’s fading away

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

The sad adult always takes a step back

You, who have passed the ugly twenties, look bored

Because if the fire ignites, it shouldn’t burn too fast

I support our love

In our youth, the rings of time are hard to see

Blinded by the brilliant light, it’s fading away

Yeah, back then I didn’t know well

We only resembled each other in our differences

Having matured, I fell first

Now I resemble you too

In our youth, the rings of time are hard to see

Blinded by the brilliant light, it’s fading away

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

...

[Korean]

난 엄마가 늘 베푼 사랑에 어색해

그래서 그런 건가 늘 어렵다니까

잃기 두려웠던 욕심 속에도

작은 예쁨이 있지

난 지금 행복해 그래서 불안해

폭풍 전 바다는 늘 고요하니까

불이 붙어 빨리 타면 안 되잖아

나는 사랑을 응원해

젊은 우리 나이테는 잘 보이지 않고

찬란한 빛에 눈이 멀어 꺼져가는데

아아아아아, 아아아아아

아아아아아, 아아

아아아아아, 아아아아아

아아아아아아아아아

슬픈 어른은 늘 뒷걸음만 치고

미운 스물을 넘긴 넌 지루해 보여

불이 붙어 빨리 타면 안 되니까

우리 사랑을 응원해

젊은 우리 나이테는 잘 보이지 않고

찬란한 빛에 눈이 멀어 꺼져가는데

그래, 그때 나는 잘 몰랐었어

우린 다른 점만 닮았고

철이 들어 먼저 떨어져 버린

너와 이젠 나도 닮았네

젊은 우리 나이테는 잘 보이지 않고

찬란한 빛에 눈이 멀어 꺼져가는데

아아아아아, 아아아아아

아아아아아, 아아

아아아아아, 아아아아아

아아아아아아아아아

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
사랑 /sa-rang/ A1	noun - love
행복 /haeng-bok/ A2	noun - happiness
불안 /bul-an/ B1	noun - anxiety
빛 /bit/ A1	noun - light
어렵다 /eoryeopda/ B1	adjective - difficult
젊은 /jeolmeun/ B2	adjective - young
어른 /eoreun/ A2	noun - adult
욕심 /yoksim/ B2	noun - greed
고요 /goyo/ B1	noun - calm
타다 /tada/ A1	verb - to burn
보이다 /boida/ A2	verb - to be seen
멀다 /meolda/ B1	adjective - far
점 /jeom/ B2	noun - point
다르다 /daleuda/ B2	adjective - different
철 /cheol/ C1	noun - iron noun - season

Key Grammar Structures

• 그래서 그런 건가 늘 어렵다니까

  ➔ Endings with "-니까" to indicate reason or explanation.

  ➔ "-니까" is a grammatical ending used to give a reason or explanation.

• 잃기 두려웠던 욕심 속에도

  ➔ Past tense combined with "-던" to modify a previous state or experience.

  ➔ "-던" indicates a previous experience or state in the past.

• 젊은 우리 나이테는 잘 보이지 않고

  ➔ Using "-고" to connect clauses indicating contrast or continuation.

  ➔ "-고" connects two clauses and can express continuation or contrast.

• 불이 붙어 빨리 타면 안 되잖아

  ➔ Conditional clause with "-면" meaning "if" or "when."

  ➔ "-면" is used to form conditional sentences meaning "if" or "when."

• 우린 다른 점만 닮았고

  ➔ Using "-만" to specify "only" or "just" what is being highlighted.

  ➔ "-만" means "only" or "just" and emphasizes exclusivity.

• 철이 들어 먼저 떨어져 버린

  ➔ Using "-아/어/여" attached to verbs to create adverbial phrases or to indicate completion.

  ➔ The suffix "-아/어/여" attaches to verbs for adverbial expressions or to denote completed actions.

• 찬란한 빛에 눈이 멀어 꺼져가는데

  ➔ Using "-에" to indicate direction or target (the light).

  ➔ "-에" marks the target or destination in a sentence, such as "빛" (light).