WHAT IS LOVE – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: EXO-K

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soulful R&B of EXO-K's "WHAT IS LOVE," a powerful vocal showcase that marked the debut of two of K-pop's most emotive singers, D.O. and Baekhyun. This song offers a unique opportunity to learn about expressing complex emotions in Korean, from questioning the nature of love to describing overwhelming feelings, all wrapped in a contemplative and vocally rich performance that transcends language barriers.

[English]

Girl, I can't explain how I feel

Ooh ooh wow oh yeah

My baby, baby, baby, baby yeah yeah

The day feels like it's just a minute long

If you're alone, you're the hero in my movie

Like filming an action scene rushing to save you

I feel like a hero

I've imagined you being perfect for me

What if we’re together? yeah

If I just tell you I’m okay, everything's perfect, oh baby

I lost my mind the moment I first met you

Except for you, everything else moves in slow motion

Tell me, if this is love

Sharing countless feelings with you every day, learning and growing

Fighting, crying, hugging each other

Tell me, if this is love

All the guys in the world envy me

I think I’m jealous and dying because I have you

Years pass, moons go by, but I never change, woah woah

I'm a faithful man who believes more than you think

You’ll realize this, woah woah

I don't know why, this absolute feeling

Did I even think about it?

When I’m with you, I become more and more

a great man and shine

I lost my mind the moment I first met you

Except for you, everything else moves in slow motion

Tell me, if this is love

Sharing countless feelings with you every day, learning and growing

Fighting, crying, hugging each other

Tell me, if this is love

If you desperately wish for it, will it come true? Like in fairy tales

An eternal happy ending for just the two of us, happily ever after, oh wow

I will only trust you, protect you, and comfort you

I’ll be on your side

Never leave your side

...

I lost my mind the moment I first met you

Except for you, everything else moves in slow motion

Tell me, if this is love

Sharing countless feelings with you every day, learning and growing

Fighting, crying, hugging each other

Tell me, if this is love

All the guys in the world envy me

I think I’m jealous and dying because I have you

My babe, baby babe, baby baby

Could it be that recognizing you, that’s what love is?

Like a child, I make you smile often

And I’ll make you feel most comfortable, like a friend

My babe, baby babe, baby baby

Tell me, what is love?

Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo

...

[Korean]

Girl, I can't explain what I feel

Ooh ooh wow oh yeah

My baby, baby, baby, baby yeah yeah

하루가 마치 1분처럼 느껴지게 만들지

너만 있으면 영화 속의 주인공

널 구하러 달려가는 액션 씬 이라도 찍을 것처럼

난 마치 영웅이 된 것처럼

넌 내게 완벽 상상해 봤어

함께라면 어떨까? yeah

난 너만 괜찮다고 말해주면 모두 완벽해 oh baby

I lost my mind 너를 처음 만났을 때

너 하나 빼고 모든 것은 get in slow motion

내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면

매일 그대와 수많은 감정들을 나눠주고 배워가며

싸우고, 울고, 안아주고

내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면

세상남자들 모두 날 부러워해

너를 가진 내가 질투나 죽겠나봐

해가 가고 달이 가도 절대 안 변해 워 워

난 보기보다 우직하게 믿을 남자라는 걸

넌 알게 될 테니까 워 워

I don't know why 절대적인 이 감정

내가 생각조차 했을까?

네 곁에 있을 때 난 점점

대단한 남자가 되고, 빛나는 걸

I lost my mind 너를 처음 만났을 때

너 하나 빼고 모든 것은 get in slow motion

내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면

매일 그대와 수많은 감정들을 나눠주고 배워가며

싸우고, 울고, 안아주고

내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면

간절히 바라고 바란다면 이뤄질까? 동화 얘기처럼

영원한 둘만의 해피엔딩, happily ever after oh wow

나만은 널 믿어주고 지켜주고 달래줄게

네 편이 될게

네 곁에서 절대 안 떠나

I lost my mind 너를 처음 만났을 때

너 하나 빼고 모든 것은 get in slow motion

내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면

매일 그대와 수많은 감정들을 나눠주고 배워가며

싸우고, 울고, 안아주고

내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면

세상남자들 모두 날 부러워해

너를 가진 내가 질투나 죽겠나봐

My babe, baby babe, baby baby

널 알아보는 것, 이게 사랑인걸까?

아이처럼 널 자주 웃게 만들고

친구처럼 널 가장 편하게 만들거야

My babe, baby babe, baby baby

말해줘 내게 what is love

Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
feel /fiːl/ B1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - a strong feeling of affection verb - to have a deep affection for someone
baby /ˈbeɪ.bi/ A1	noun - a very young child
mind /maɪnd/ B1	noun - the part of a person that thinks, feels, and remembers verb - to be concerned about something
hero /ˈhɪə.roʊ/ B2	noun - a person admired for their courage or noble qualities
emotion /ɪˈmoʊ.ʃən/ B1	noun - a strong feeling such as joy, anger, or sadness
perfect /ˈpɜːr.fɪkt/ B2	adjective - having no mistakes or flaws
jealous /ˈdʒɛl.əs/ B2	adjective - feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements
action /ˈæk.ʃən/ A2	noun - the process of doing something
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth and all its inhabitants
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to experience dreams during sleep
fight /faɪt/ B1	verb - to take part in a violent confrontation
share /ʃɛr/ A2	verb - to give a portion of something to others
together /təˈɡɛð.ər/ A1	adverb - with each other; in a group

Key Grammar Structures

• What is love

  ➔ Interrogative Sentence using 'what is' to inquire about the definition or nature of something.

  ➔ 'what is' is used to form a question asking for the identity or meaning of something.

• 내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면

  ➔ Conditional sentence with 'if' implying 'if this is love', expressing a hypothetical situation.

  ➔ '내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면' means 'Tell me, if this is love', using a conditional to discuss the possibility of love.

• 세상남자들 모두 날 부러워해

  ➔ Present simple tense with 'all' to express universal truth or general statement about 'all men in the world'.

  ➔ '세상남자들 모두 날 부러워해' uses the present simple tense with '모든' (all) to indicate a general or ongoing feeling of envy from all men.

• 내게 말해줘 이게 사랑이라면

  ➔ Conditional clause using 'if' to speculate about a possibility (if this is love).

  ➔ '이게 사랑이라면' means 'if this is love', serving as a conditional clause to express doubt or hope about love.

• 널 알아보는 것, 이게 사랑인걸까?

  ➔ Question using '인가' to express doubt or uncertainty, equivalent to 'is this love?'.

  ➔ '널 알아보는 것, 이게 사랑인걸까?' means 'Is this love, the thing that recognizes you?', questioning whether the feeling is real love.