If It Were Me – Bilingual Lyrics Korean/English

• By: Na Yoon Kwon, D.O.

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soul of Korean ballad with 'If It Were Me' ('나였으면'). This remake masterfully blends the emotional power of Na Yoon Kwon’s classic with the delicate artistry of D.O., making it a perfect song for intermediate learners to practice listening to deeply expressive, poetic Korean lyrics about yearning and heartbreak. You'll learn sophisticated vocabulary used to describe complex feelings of longing and fate in a quintessential K-Pop style.

[English]

I just keep watching you

Days pass and days go by

Your breathing, your laughter

Still shake me up

Tears are falling again

You're smiling, unaware of my aching heart

Foolish me, immature and clumsy me

Can't you turn around to look at me just once?

I know it, my wishes

Mean nothing to you

If it were me, the one you love

If it were me, I've prayed so many days

Like a lush tree, like a silently shining star

Do you even know I'm just watching you again?

Always, just until today

The confessions of love I've been practicing alone

Sad back view, just until today

You'll live on, never knowing how I feel

I sadly know so well

That waiting is easier than being forgotten

If it were me, the one you love

If it were me, I've prayed so many days

Like a lush tree, like a silently shining star

Do you even know I'm just watching you again?

I want to ask, are you doing well? (Are you doing well?)

Is the person with you treating you well?

I know foolish worries are useless

But I wanted to say it once without tears, oh, whoa

I love you

...

[Korean]

늘 바라만 보네요

하루가 지나가고 또 하루가 지나도

그대 숨소리, 그대 웃음소리

아직도 나를 흔들죠

또 눈물이 흐르죠

아픈 내 맘 모른 채 그댄 웃고 있네요

바보 같은 나, 철없는 못난 나를

한 번쯤 그대 돌아봐 줄 수 없는지?

알고 있죠 내 바램들을

그대에겐 아무런 의미 없단 걸

나였으면 그대 사랑하는 사람

나였으면 수없이 많은 날을 나 기도해왔죠

푸르른 나무처럼, 말없이 빛난 별처럼

또 바라만 보고 있는 나를 그댄 알고 있나요?

늘 나 오늘까지만

혼자 연습해왔던 사랑의 고백들도

슬픈 뒷모습 그저 오늘까지만

이런 내 맘을 모른 채 살아갈 테죠

기다림이 잊혀짐보다

쉽다는 걸 슬프게 잘 알고 있죠

나였으면 그대 사랑하는 사람

나였으면 수없이 많은 날을 나 기도해왔죠

푸르른 나무처럼, 말없이 빛난 별처럼

또 바라만 보고 있는 나를 그댄 알고 있나요?

묻고 싶죠, 그댄 잘 지내는 가요? (잘 지내는 가요?)

함께하는 그 사람이 그대에게 잘해주나요?

바보 같은 걱정도 부질없단 걸 알지만

눈물 없이 꼭 한번은 말하고 싶었죠, oh, whoa

사랑한다고

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
사랑 /saɾaŋ/ A1	noun - love
마음 /ma.ɯm/ A1	noun - heart; mind; feelings
눈물 /nun.mul/ A2	noun - tear (drop from the eye)
바램 /pa.ɾɛm/ B2	noun - wish; desire
별 /pjʌl/ A1	noun - star
나무 /na.mu/ A1	noun - tree
기다림 /ki.da.ɾim/ B1	noun - waiting
걱정 /k͈ʌ.dʑʌŋ/ A2	noun - worry; concern
바라보다 /pa.ɾa.bo.da/ A2	verb - to look at; to gaze
돌아보다 /to.ɾa.bo.da/ B1	verb - to look back; to turn one's head
기도하다 /ki.do.ha.da/ B1	verb - to pray
빛나다 /pitʰ.na.da/ B1	verb - to shine; to sparkle
흐르다 /hɯ.ɾɯ.da/ A2	verb - to flow
흔들다 /hɯn.dɯl.da/ B1	verb - to shake; to sway
알다 /al.da/ A1	verb - to know
잊히다 /i.tʰi.da/ C1	verb (passive) - to be forgotten
살아가다 /sa.ɾa.ɡa.da/ B2	verb - to live on; to carry on living
말하다 /mal.ha.da/ A1	verb - to speak; to say; to tell

Key Grammar Structures

• 하루가 지나가고 또 하루가 지나도

  ➔ -도 (even though, even if)

  ➔ The particle '-도' in '지나도' means 'even though another day passes'. It shows concession.

• 그댄 웃고 있네요

  ➔ -고 있다 (progressive aspect)

  ➔ The structure '-고 있다' in '웃고 있네요' means 'is smiling' — an ongoing action.

• 알고 있죠 내 바램들을

  ➔ 고 있다 used with stative verbs (continuing state of knowing)

  ➔ '알고 있다' means 'to know' (and continue knowing). It describes a continuing state.

• 나였으면 그대 사랑하는 사람

  ➔ 였으면 (if it were — hypothetical conditional)

  ➔ '나였으면' uses the past tense copula '이었-' plus '-으면' for hypothetical conditions: 'if it were me'.

• 수없이 많은 날을 나 기도해왔죠

  ➔ -아/어 오다 (have been doing something)

  ➔ '기도해왔죠' uses '-아/어 오다' to mean 'have been praying', showing continued action from past to present.

• 그댄 알고 있나요?

  ➔ -나요? (soft question ending, curiosity)

  ➔ '알고 있나요?' expresses a soft, emotional question: 'Do you know?' with gentle curiosity.

• 이런 내 맘을 모른 채 살아갈 테죠

  ➔ -(으)ㄹ 테죠 (speaker's strong assumption or expectation)

  ➔ '살아갈 테죠' shows the speaker’s firm belief: 'will probably go on living (without knowing)'.

• 기다림이 잊혀짐보다 쉽다는 걸

  ➔ N보다 (compared to N)

  ➔ '잊혀짐보다' means 'than forgetting'. The particle '보다' marks comparison.

• 사랑한다고

  ➔ -(이)라고 (indirect speech quotation)

  ➔ '사랑한다고' is the quoted form of '사랑한다' (I love you). It means 'that I love (you)' in indirect speech.