Heartbeat — 2PM: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
What does “Heartbeat” by 2PM mean?
In “Heartbeat,” 2PM sing about a heart that keeps beating for someone who walked away, even though the mind insists it is over. The singer keeps an empty seat for her, keeps a deep corner of the heart shut to anyone new, and half expects her to return, then tries to force forgetting, bitter that she seems to live on untroubled.
What the song is about
The mood is restless and aching, with a pulse that only speeds up.
Key lines
4 lines from the song in Korean, with how they sound and what they mean. The full line-by-line breakdown lives in the app.
머리론 알겠는데 가슴은 왜 지 맘대론지Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): meo·ri·ro nal·gen·neun·de ga·seu·meun wae ji mam·dae·ron·ji
Meaning: My head understands, so why does my heart do whatever it wants?
Words in this line- 머리론meo·ri·roin my head
- 알겠는데nal·gen·neun·deI know, but
- 가슴은ga·seu·meunthe heart
- 왜waewhy
- 지jiits own
- 맘대론지mam·dae·ron·jias it pleases?
Word for word: With the head I know, but the chest, why is it by its own will?
Why it doesn't translate word for word: On its own 머리 is 'head' and 가슴 is 'chest', but together they stand for mind versus heart in Korean. 맘대로 is 'as one pleases' (맘 'heart, mind' + 대로 'according to'), and the ending -ㄴ지 turns the sentence into a question the singer asks themselves. That is why the clumsy 'chest, is it by its own will' becomes 'why won't my heart obey'.
끝났다는 걸 아직도 몰라Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): kkeun·nat·tta·neun geo ra·jik·tto mol·la
Meaning: I still don't realize it's over
Words in this line- 끝났다는kkeun·nat·tta·neunthat it ended
- 걸geothe fact
- 아직도ra·jik·ttostill
- 몰라mol·ladon't know
Word for word: Ended-that thing still-even I-don't-know.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 끝났다는 걸 is 끝나다 'to end' + -다는 'that it ended' + 걸, a short form of 것을 'the fact'. 몰라 alone is 'I don't know', but here it means 'I can't take it in'. So the plain 'don't know' becomes a stubborn refusal to accept.
지워 버려야만 해 안 그러면 내가 죽어Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): ji·wo beo·ryeo·ya·man hae an geu·reo·myeon nae·ga ju·geo
Meaning: I have to wipe it all out, or I'll die
Words in this line- 지워ji·woerase
- 버려야만beo·ryeo·ya·manmust completely
- 해haemust
- 안annot
- 그러면geu·reo·myeonif so
- 내가nae·gaI
- 죽어ju·geodie
Word for word: Erase throw-away only-if do, not so if I die.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 버리다 alone means 'throw away', but after another verb it adds 'for good, completely'. 안 그러면 is literally 'if not so', meaning 'otherwise'. 죽어 here is less literal death than extreme pain.
가슴이 뛸 때 마다 생각나Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): ga·seu·mi ttwil ttae ma·da saeng·gang·na
Meaning: Every time my heart beats, I think of you
Words in this line- 가슴이ga·seu·miheart/chest
- 뛸ttwilto beat
- 때ttaewhen
- 마다ma·daevery
- 생각나saeng·gang·nacomes to mind
Word for word: Chest beating when every, thought comes out
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 가슴 alone means 'chest', but in songs it stands for the heart and emotions. 뛰다 means 'run, jump', and said of a heart it means 'pound'. 생각나 is 'a thought surfaces by itself', i.e. 'it reminds me' without effort.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “Heartbeat” — 2PM. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Song facts
- Lines
- 55
- Key lines explained
- 4
- Words explained
- 18
- Length
- 3:13
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Ask TaejunSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 갔어 | ga·sseo | went away |
| 같애 | ga·tae | seems |
| 곁에 | gyeo·te | by the side |
| 고장나 | go·jang·na | break down |
| 그것도 | geu·geot·tto | even that |
| 그녀는 | geu·nyeo·neun | she |
| 그년 | geu·nyeon | that bitch |
| 그렇게 | geu·reo·ke | like that |
| 나는 | na·neun | I |
| 못해 | mo·tae | can't |
| 생각에 | saeng·ga·ge | at the thought |
| 심장이 | sim·jang·i | heart |
| 아무리 | a·mu·ri | no matter how |
| 아파 | a·pa | it hurts |
| 안가 | an·ga | doesn't come |
| 이러는지 | i·reo·neun·ji | I act like this |
| 이해가 | i·hae·ga | understanding |
| 잊어야 | i·jeo·ya | only if forgetting |
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Questions about “Heartbeat”
What is “Heartbeat” by 2PM about?
In “Heartbeat,” 2PM sing about a heart that keeps beating for someone who walked away, even though the mind insists it is over. The singer keeps an empty seat for her, keeps a deep corner of the heart shut to anyone new, and half expects her to return, then tries to force forgetting, bitter that she seems to live on untroubled. The mood is restless and aching, with a pulse that only speeds up.
What does “머리론 알겠는데 가슴은 왜 지 맘대론지” mean in “Heartbeat”?
In “Heartbeat” by 2PM, “머리론 알겠는데 가슴은 왜 지 맘대론지” means: My head understands, so why does my heart do whatever it wants? On its own 머리 is 'head' and 가슴 is 'chest', but together they stand for mind versus heart in Korean. 맘대로 is 'as one pleases' (맘 'heart, mind' + 대로 'according to'), and the ending -ㄴ지 turns the sentence into a question the singer asks themselves.
What does “끝났다는 걸 아직도 몰라” mean in “Heartbeat”?
In “Heartbeat” by 2PM, “끝났다는 걸 아직도 몰라” means: I still don't realize it's over. 끝났다는 걸 is 끝나다 'to end' + -다는 'that it ended' + 걸, a short form of 것을 'the fact'. 몰라 alone is 'I don't know', but here it means 'I can't take it in'. So the plain 'don't know' becomes a stubborn refusal to accept.
How do you pronounce “지워 버려야만 해 안 그러면 내가 죽어”?
“지워 버려야만 해 안 그러면 내가 죽어” from “Heartbeat” by 2PM is romanized as “jiwo beoryeoyaman hae an geureomyeon naega jugeo”: that is how it is actually sung, sound changes included, not the textbook spelling.
Where can I see every line of “Heartbeat” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Taejun goes through all 55 lines word by word, in sync with the song; the first verse is free and needs no sign-up.
Official music video
The video loads from YouTube only when you press play. YouTube ↗
How we make these breakdowns
theIDOL builds every breakdown with AI assistance and automated checks, and publishes a page only after it passes them. An AI model writes the meaning of each line and the word-by-word glosses from the song's timed lyrics. The pronunciation comes from our own rule-based Korean transcriber, which spells how the words sound when sung, sound changes included, not a letter-by-letter romanization. Pages that fail the audio-sync or translation checks are not published, and we quote only a few key lines. If you spot a mistake, write to support@theidol.ai and we will fix it.
Credits and sources
- Artist
- 2PM
- Official video
- 2PM · YouTube
Lyrics and music belong to their rights holders. This page quotes no more than four lines for commentary; the translations, pronunciation and explanations are written by theIDOL.