Twenty-three – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: IU
• Album: CHAT-SHIRE

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the world of K-pop through IU's 'Twenty-three,' a song that's as clever as it is catchy. By exploring the lyrics, you can learn about the nuances of Korean culture, particularly the significance of age in identity. The song's playful yet profound exploration of the transition to adulthood makes it a unique and relatable piece of music, offering a window into the mind of one of K-pop's most celebrated artists.

[English]

I'm 23, I'm a riddle (question)

What do you think? Try to guess.

I'm 23, don't get it wrong because

I'm really sensitive, try to guess.

A little bit of twenty-three, I have a lady-like charm.

Even if I pretend to be grown-up, please believe me moderately.

Annoying twenty-three, I'm still far from it.

Even if I pretend to be immature, just go along with it.

I, yes, I definitely like it now.

No, no, actually, I want to give up.

Ah, I see, I want to be in love.

No, I want to earn a lot of money, guess.

Which one is it? You can't tell just by looking at my face.

It's very simple to show a different expression from my true feelings.

Which one is it? Honestly, I don't know either.

From the beginning, I've never told a single lie.

Pretending to be a fox, pretending to be a bear,

a fox acting or something completely different.

Which one is it? Just pick one side.

What reflects in colored glasses, I'm used to it now.

Check it out.

There's nothing to fear, even if I mess up.

People are kind to me every day.

That woman greeting me, I wonder if she’s still smiling around the corner.

I'm always anxious about it.

I want to remain a child forever.

No, no, I want to be a woman with charm.

Ah, I've decided, I want to live as if I'm dead.

No, I want to turn everything upside down, guess.

Which one is it? You can't tell just by looking at my face.

It's very simple to show a different expression from my true feelings.

Which one is it? Honestly, I don't know either.

From the beginning, I've never told a single lie.

Pretending to be a fox, pretending to be a bear,

a fox acting or something completely different.

Which one is it? Just pick one side.

What reflects in colored glasses, I'm used to it now.

I want to be liked by you.

Is it okay if I act a little bit annoying?

I want to be liked by you.

Can I play on top of your head? Guess.

Which one is it? You can't tell just by looking at my face.

It's very simple to show a different expression from my true feelings.

Which one is it? Honestly, I don't know either.

From the beginning, I've never told a single lie.

Pretending to be a fox, pretending to be a bear,

a fox acting or something completely different.

Which one is it? Just pick one side.

What reflects in colored glasses, I'm used to it now.

...

[Korean]

I'm 23 난 수수께끼 (question)

뭐게요 맞혀봐요

I'm 23 틀리지 말기 because

난 몹시 예민해요 맞혀봐

한 떨기 스물셋 좀 아가씨 태가 나네

다 큰 척해도 적당히 믿어줘요

얄미운 스물셋 아직 한참 멀었다 얘

덜 자란 척해도 대충 속아줘요

난, 그래 확실히 지금이 좋아요

아냐, 아냐 사실은 때려 치고 싶어요

아 알겠어요 나는 사랑이 하고 싶어

아니 돈이나 많이 벌래 맞혀봐

어느 쪽이게? 얼굴만 보면 몰라

속마음과 다른 표정을 짓는 일 아주 간단하거든

어느 쪽이게? 사실은 나도 몰라

애초에 나는 단 한 줄의 거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든

여우인 척, 하는 곰인 척

하는 여우 아니면 아예 다른 거

어느 쪽이게? 뭐든 한 쪽을 골라

색안경 안에 비춰지는 거 뭐 이제 익숙하거든

Check it out

겁나는 게 없어요 엉망으로 굴어도

사람들은 내게 매일 친절해요

인사하는 저 여자 모퉁이를 돌고도

아직 웃고 있을까 늘 불안해요

난, 영원히 아이로 남고 싶어요

아니, 아니 물기 있는 여자가 될래요

아 정했어요 난 죽은 듯이 살래요

아냐, 다 뒤집어 볼래 맞혀봐

어느 쪽이게? 얼굴만 보면 몰라

속마음과 다른 표정을 짓는 일 아주 간단하거든

어느 쪽이게? 사실은 나도 몰라

애초에 나는 단 한 줄의 거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든

여우인 척, 하는 곰인 척

하는 여우 아니면 아예 다른 거

어느 쪽이게? 뭐든 한 쪽을 골라

색안경 안에 비춰지는 거 뭐 이제 익숙하거든

난 당신 맘에 들고 싶어요

아주 살짝만 얄밉게 해도 돼요?

난 당신 맘에 들고 싶어요

자기 머리 꼭대기 위에서 놀아도 돼요? 맞혀봐

어느 쪽이게? 얼굴만 보면 몰라

속마음과 다른 표정을 짓는 일 아주 간단하거든

어느 쪽이게? 사실은 나도 몰라

애초에 나는 단 한 줄의 거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든

여우인 척, 하는 곰인 척

하는 여우 아니면 아예 다른 거

어느 쪽이게? 뭐든 한 쪽을 골라

색안경 안에 비춰지는 거 뭐 이제 익숙하거든

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
question /ˈkwɛs.tʃən/ B1	noun - a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information
sensitive /ˈsɛn.sɪ.tɪv/ B2	adjective - easily upset or offended
face /feɪs/ A2	noun - the front part of a person's head verb - to confront or deal with
lie /laɪ/ B1	verb - to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive noun - an untrue statement
choose /tʃuːz/ A2	verb - to select from a number of alternatives
forever /fərˈɛv.ər/ B1	adverb - for all future time; for always
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation
kind /kaɪnd/ A2	adjective - having a friendly, generous, and considerate nature
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
beautiful /ˈbjuː.tɪ.fəl/ B1	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically
strange /streɪndʒ/ B2	adjective - unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to perceive or experience an emotion or sensation
simple /ˈsɪm.pəl/ A2	adjective - easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty
dark /dɑːrk/ A2	adjective - with little or no light
trust /trʌst/ B1	verb - to believe in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something

Key Grammar Structures

• 난 수수께끼

  ➔ Use of the subject marker '난' (나는), a contraction of '나는' (I am), emphasizing the subject.

  ➔ The phrase '난' is a contraction of '나는' which means 'I am', used to emphasize the subject.

• 맞혀봐

  ➔ Imperative form of '맞히다' (to guess correctly), combined with '봐' (try to), forming a command or encouragement.

  ➔ The phrase '맞혀봐' is an imperative, encouraging someone to try guessing, derived from the verb '맞히다' (to guess correctly).

• 어느 쪽이게?

  ➔ Interrogative expression '어느 쪽이게?', meaning 'Which side?', where '이게' is colloquial for '이것이' (this).

  ➔ The phrase '어느 쪽이게?' is a colloquial question meaning 'Which side?', with '이게' being an informal form of '이것이' (this).

• 단 한 줄의 거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든

  ➔ Use of '단 한 줄의 거짓말도' (even a single line of lie) with '썼다' (past tense of '쓰기' = to write), indicating prior experience.

  ➔ The phrase '단 한 줄의 거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든' emphasizes that the speaker has never written even a single lie before, with '썼다' indicating past experience.

• 하는 여우 아니면 아예 다른 거

  ➔ Relative clause '하는 여우 아니면' (either a fox acting/pretending), with '아니면' meaning 'or else' or 'if not'.

  ➔ The phrase '하는 여우 아니면' introduces a relative clause indicating 'either the fox acting' or something else, with '아니면' meaning 'or else'.