#8 Learning Korean with K-pop: LE SSERAFIM — FEARLESS

To make your Korean language learning more exciting, let’s dive deep into LE SSERAFIM’s iconic debut song, FEARLESS. The lyrics contain very basic grammar structures, and even though some words aren’t that common on a daily basis, this is a nice song to study if you’re a beginner!

Check all “Learning Korean with K-pop” lessons uploaded here.

As a UI/UX Designer, I have been thinking of developing an app where people can learn languages through songs and videos. In case you are an App Developer/Back-End or Front-End Developer and you are interested in this project, please message me here.

Difficulty: Lower-Intermediate

This post contains the following sections:

1. Vocabulary List;
2. Grammar List;
3. Explanation & Lyrics Breakdown;
4. Other Links.

Vocabulary List (52 words):

1. 제일: the most
2. 높다: high
3. 곳: place
4. 난: I
5. 닿다: to reach
6. 원하다: to want
7. 느끼다: to feel
8. 내: my
9. 혈관: blood vessel
10. 속: inside
11. 날뛰다: to throb
12. 거대하다: giant
13. 관심: interest
14. 없다: to not have, to be inexistent
15. 과거: past
16. 모두: everyone
17. 알다: to know
18. 그: that
19. 트러블: trouble
20. 올라가다: to go up
21. 밟다: to step
22. 멋지다: cool, wonderful
23. 결말: conclusion, end
24. 흉짐: “ugliness” (this word doesn’t exist in the Korean dictionary — check the further explanation here.)
25. 나의: my
26. 일부: part, portion
27. 겁: fear
28. 다치다: to get hurt
29. 욕심: desire, greed
30. 숨기다: to hide
31. 네: your
32. 말들: words
33. 이상하다: strange, weird
34. 겸손하다: humble
35. 연기: acting
36. 같다: to be like, similar to…
37. 것: thing
38. 더: more
39. 이상: no more
40. 안: not, no
41. 하다: to do
42. 가져오다: to bring
43. 내게: to me
44. 가슴팍: chest
45. 숫자: number
46. 밑: under
47. 조아리다: to bow one’s head repeatedly
48. 세계: world
49. 더는: no more, anymore
50. 패배: defeat, loss
51. 준비되다: to be prepared
52. 당장: right now

Grammar List:

• ~은/는 form: Describing nouns with verbs/adjectives
• 에/에서 particle: Time and location indicator
• ~길 원하다 form: I want to…
• 이/가 particle: Subject marking particle
• ~고 있다form: Present Progressive form
• ~아/어주다: To give…, to do something to someone
• ~게 form: So that…
• 도 particle: Too, even, also
• ~(라)면: If…
• ~지 ending: Turning sentences into questions or Answering a question (gives the response a feeling of “Of course!”)
• ~지 않다 form: Negative form
• 을/를 particle: Object marking particle
• ~라는 form: Which is called… (same as ~라고 하는)
• ~은/는 form: Describing nouns with verbs/adjectives
• 으로/로 particle: Indicating particle

Explanation & Lyrics Breakdown

제일 높은 곳에 난 닿길 원해
느꼈어 내 answer
내 혈관 속에 날뛰는 new wave
내 거대한 passion

제일 높은 곳에 난 닿길 원해 = I want to reach the top

• 제일: the most
• 높은 (높다 — high conjugated in Noun-describing form)
• 제일 높은: the highest
• 곳에: 곳 (place) + 에 particle
• 난: 나 (I, me) + 는 particle
• 닿길 원해: 닿다 (to reach) + ~길 원하다 form (conjugated in Casual Present Tense)

느꼈어 내 answer = I felt my answer

• 느꼈어: 느끼다 (to feel) conjugated in Casual Past Tense
• 내: my

내 혈관 속에 날뛰는 new wave = Surging through my veins the new wave

• 내: my
• 혈관: veins, blood vessels
• 속에: 속 (inside) + 에 particle
• 날뛰는: 날뛰다 (to throb, to surge)

내 거대한 passion = My overwhelming passion

• 내: my
• 거대한: huge, giant (거대하다 conjugated in Noun-describing form)

관심 없어 과거에 모두가 알고 있는
그 트러블에 huh
I’m fearless a new b**ch new crazy
올라가 next one

관심 없어 과거에 모두가 알고 있는 = Don’t care about those past troubles

• 관심: interest
• 없어: 없다 (to not have) conjugated in Casual Present Tense
• 과거에: 과거 (past) + 에 particle
• 모두가: 모두 (everyone) + 가 particle
• 알고 있는: 알다 (to know) + ~고 있다 form + ~는 form (Noun-describing form)

그 트러블에 huh = You all know huh

• 그: that
• 트러블에: 트러블 (trouble) + 에 particle

올라가 next one = Climbing up, next one

• 올라가: 올라가다 (to go up, to climb up) conjugated in Casual Present Tense

밟아줘 highway highway
멋진 결말에 닿게
내 흉짐도 나의 일부라면
겁이 난 없지 없지

밟아줘 highway highway = Oh step on it highway highway

• 밟아줘: 밟다 (to step) + ~아주다 form

멋진 결말에 닿게 = Oh get to that amazing ending

• 멋진: 멋지다 (cool, amazing) conjugated in Noun-describing form
• 결말에: 결말 (ending) + 에 particle
• 닿게: 닿다 (to reach) + 게 form

내 흉짐도 나의 일부라면 = If my scars are a part of me

• 내: my
• 흉짐도: 흉짐 (“ugliness”, flaws — check the explanation above on the Vocabulary List) + 도 particle
• 나의: my
• 일부라면: 일부 (part) + ~라면 form

겁이 난 없지 없지 = Oh I got no fear, no fear

• 겁이: 겁 (fear) + 이 particle
• 난: 나 (I, me) + 는 particle
• 없지: 없다 (to not have) + ~지 ending

You should get away
Get a get a get away
다치지 않게 다치 다치지 않게
You should get away
Get a get a get away
Mmmm I’m fearless huh

다치지 않게 다치 다치지 않게 = So you don’t get hurt, get hurt

• 다치지 않게: 다치다 (to get hurt) + ~지 않다 form + ~게 form

욕심을 숨기라는 네 말들은 이상해
겸손한 연기 같은 건 더 이상 안 해

욕심을 숨기라는 네 말들은 이상해 = Telling me to hide my desire, that’s weird

• 욕심을: 욕심 (greed, desire) + 을 particle
• 숨기라는: 숨기다 (to hide) + ~라는 form
• 네: your
• 말들은: 말 (word) + 들 (plural) + 은 particle
• 이상해: 이상하다 (weird) conjugated in Casual Present Tense

겸손한 연기 같은 건 더 이상 안 해 = Acting like I’m humble, that’s done

• 겸손한: 겸손하다 (humble) conjugated in Noun-describing form
• 연기: acting
• 같은 건: 같다 (similar to…) conjugated in Noun-describing form + 것 (thing) + 는 particle
• 더: more
• 이상: no more, anymore
• 안 해: 안 (not) + 하다 (to do) conjugated in Casual Present Tense

가져와 forever win 내게 ay
가슴팍에 숫자 1 내게 ay
내 밑으로 조아린 세계 ay
Take the world break it down break you
down down

가져와 forever win 내게 ay = Bring me forever win ay

• 가져와: 가져오다 (to bring) conjugated in Casual Present Tense
• 내게: 나 (I, me) + 에게 particle

가슴팍에 숫자 1 내게 ay = Number 1 on my chest ay

• 가슴팍에: 가슴팍 (chest) + 에 particle
• 숫자: number
• 내게: 나 (I, me) + 에게 particle

내 밑으로 조아린 세계 ay = World groveling under my feet ay

• 내: my
• 밑으로: 밑 (under) + 으로 paarticle
• 조아린: 조아리다 (to bow one’s head repeatedly) conjugated in Noun-describing form (Past Tense)
• 세계: world

더는 없어 패배
준비된 내 payback
Bring it 당장 내게
Mmmm I’m fearless huh

더는 없어 패배 = No more losing

• 더는: no more
• 없어: 없다 (to not have) conjugated in Casual Present Tense
• 패배: defeat

준비된 내 payback = Got ready my payback

• 준비된: 준비되다 (to be ready) conjugated in Noun-describing form (Past Tense)
• 내: my

Bring it 당장 내게 = Bring it right now to me

• 당장: right now
• 내게: 나 (I, me) + 에게 particle

Congratulations! You finished this lesson! I hope you enjoyed today’s Korean lesson. In case you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me in the comments!

Good luck on your language-learning journey!

Other Links:

• Previous Lesson:

#7 Learning Korean with K-pop: BTS — Euphoria

• Next Lesson:

#9 Learning Korean with K-pop: BTS — The Truth Untold