HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK — AKMU: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync내가 없이 혼자 걷는 널 바라본다nae·ga eop·ssi hon·ja geon·neun neol ba·ra·bon·daI watch you walking alone, without meListen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
AKMU's “HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK” portrays a couple walking toward a breakup they cannot accept, because they still love each other. On a quiet road of lantern light and wordless understanding, the singer realizes that hardship was always bearable but parting is not. Their love, vast as a sea, seems to be draining away, leaving a tender, aching mood.
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.
내가 없이 혼자 걷는 널 바라본다Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): nae·ga eop·ssi hon·ja geon·neun neol ba·ra·bon·da
Meaning: I watch you walking alone, without me
Words in this line- 내가nae·gaI
- 없이eop·ssiwithout
- 혼자hon·jaalone
- 걷는geon·neunwalking
- 널neolyou
- 바라본다ba·ra·bon·dawatch
Word for word: I without alone walking you watch
Why it doesn't translate word for word: "내가 없이" literally means "I without" — natural phrasing says "without me". Korean word order puts the whole description ("walking alone without me") before the word "you", so the literal translation feels backwards.
그때 알게 되었어Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): geu·ttae al·ge doe·eo·sseo
Meaning: That's when I realized
Words in this line- 그때geu·ttaethen
- 알게al·gecome to know
- 되었어doe·eo·sseocame to be
Word for word: then come-to-know became
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 알게 되다 is a fixed "-게 되다" pattern ("come to..."): 알다 alone means "to know", 되다 alone means "to become" — together they mean "came to realize", not "know became".
적막 짙은 도로 위에 걸음을 포갠다Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): jeong·mak ji·teun do·ro wi·e geo·reu·meul po·gaen·da
Meaning: On the road thick with silence, our footsteps fall together
Words in this line- 적막jeong·maksilence
- 짙은ji·teunthick
- 도로do·roroad
- 위에wi·eon top of
- 걸음을geo·reu·meulfootsteps
- 포갠다po·gaen·daoverlaps
Word for word: Silence thick road-on footsteps stacks
Why it doesn't translate word for word: '짙다' usually describes thick color or fog — here the silence is thick enough to touch. '포갠다' literally 'stacks one on another' — the footsteps land in perfect unison, very close.
다 마를 때까지 기다리는 게 이별일 텐데Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): da ma·reul ttae·kka·ji gi·da·ri·neun ge i·byeo·ril ten·de
Meaning: Waiting until it all dries up — that's what breaking up would really be.
Words in this line- 다daall
- 마를ma·reulwill dry
- 때까지ttae·kka·jiuntil
- 기다리는gi·da·ri·neunwaiting
- 게gethe act of
- 이별일i·byeo·rilwould be breakup
- 텐데ten·de[would be, though]
Word for word: All will.dry time-until waiting fact breakup-would.be-but.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: Korean strings ideas into fused chunks — "until it all dries" (마를 때까지), "the waiting" as a noun (기다리는 게), and a presumptive-but ending (-일 텐데, "would be, but") — so the literal version reads like a stiff run-on. 이별 means breakup. It means: waiting for everything to fully dry up would really be the breakup itself.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK” — AKMU. Quoted for commentary and learning.
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Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 거지 | geo·ji | it's that, right |
| 것같이 | geot·kka·chi | like/as if |
| 길을 | gi·reul | the road |
| 깊은 | gi·peun | deep |
| 바다처럼 | ba·da·cheo·reom | like the sea |
| 사랑이 | sa·rang·i | love |
| 사랑이라는 | sa·rang·i·ra·neun | what's called love |
| 사랑하겠어 | sa·rang·ha·ge·sseo | would love |
| 사랑하는 | sa·rang·ha·neun | love |
| 서로를 | seo·ro·reul | each other |
| 아파할 | a·pa·hal | to hurt |
| 어떻게 | eo·tteo·ke | how |
| 없단 | eop·ttan | there isn't (that) |
| 이별까지 | i·byeol·kka·ji | even the breakup |
| 이유로 | i·yu·ro | as a reason |
| 이후에 | i·hu·e | after |
| 찢어질 | jji·jeo·jil | as if tearing |
| 포기하고 | po·gi·ha·go | giving up |
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Questions about “HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK”
What is “HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK” by AKMU about?
AKMU's “HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK” portrays a couple walking toward a breakup they cannot accept, because they still love each other.
What does “내가 없이 혼자 걷는 널 바라본다” mean in “HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK”?
I watch you walking alone, without me. "내가 없이" literally means "I without" — natural phrasing says "without me".
What does “그때 알게 되었어” mean in “HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK”?
That's when I realized. 알게 되다 is a fixed "-게 되다" pattern ("come to..."): 알다 alone means "to know", 되다 alone means "to become" — together they mean "came to realize", not "know became".
How do you pronounce “적막 짙은 도로 위에 걸음을 포갠다”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “jeong·mak ji·teun do·ro wi·e geo·reu·meul po·gaen·da”: that's how it's actually sung by AKMU, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “HOW CAN I LOVE THE HEARTBREAK” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Sunwoo goes through all 30 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 ↗
Credits and sources
- Artist
- AKMU
- Official video
- AKMU · 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.