Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart (기쁨, 슬픔, 아름다운 마음) — AKMU: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync기쁨 뒤에 슬픔이 오는 건gi·ppeum dwi·e seul·peu·mi o·neun geonSorrow coming after joy is a beautiful feelingListen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
AKMU's “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart” gently argues that sadness is a natural, even lovely part of being happy. The singer encourages someone to stop pushing pain away and to sit with it, comparing it to a stone that grows pretty and to shade that sunlight leaves behind. Smiles, tears and every kind of weather get pieced together like a puzzle, and the tone stays tender and consoling.
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.
기쁨 뒤에 슬픔이 오는 건Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): gi·ppeum dwi·e seul·peu·mi o·neun geon
Meaning: Sorrow coming after joy is a beautiful feeling
Words in this line- 기쁨gi·ppeumjoy
- 뒤에dwi·eafter
- 슬픔이seul·peu·misorrow
- 오는o·neunthat comes
- 건geonthe fact that
건 is a contraction of 것은, 'the thing that...'. It sets up a statement whose answer comes in the next line.
아주 예쁜 돌이 된단다Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): a·ju ye·ppeun do·ri doen·dan·da
Meaning: It will become a very pretty stone
Words in this line- 아주a·juvery
- 예쁜ye·ppeunpretty
- 돌이do·ria stone
- 된단다doen·dan·dait becomes (I tell you)
된다 means 'becomes', and the ending -단다 adds a soft, gentle tone, like an elder explaining something warmly to a child.
끼우고 나면 다 퍼즐이 될 거야Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): kki·u·go na·myeon da peo·jeu·ri doel kkeo·ya
Meaning: Once you fit them together, they'll all become a puzzle
Words in this line- 끼우고kki·u·gofitting in
- 나면na·myeononce done
- 다daall
- 퍼즐이peo·jeu·ria puzzle
- 될doelwill become
- 거야kkeo·yait will be
-고 나면 means 'once you've done it', and -ㄹ 거야 is a confident prediction. Together they sound like a comforting promise.
이보다 더 좋은 게 어딨어Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): i·bo·da deo jo·eun ge eo·di·sseo
Meaning: What could be better than this?
Words in this line- 이보다i·bo·dathan this
- 더deomore
- 좋은jo·eungood
- 게gething
- 어딨어eo·di·sseowhere is
Lyrics © their rights holders. “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart” — AKMU. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Mini-lesson: fill in the missing word
A line from the song with one word missing: listen, then pick the right word. Youngjae checks your answer and saves the new words to your notebook.
Try the lessonAsk Youngjae about this song
Why this word and not another? What does that slang mean? Ask in your own words and your idol answers about this exact line.
Ask YoungjaeSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 겁내지 | geom·nae·ji | be afraid |
| 것은 | geo·seun | thing |
| 그늘이 | geu·neu·ri | shade |
| 그림이 | geu·ri·mi | picture |
| 날도 | nal·do | day too |
| 눈물 | nun·mul | tears |
| 마음이야 | ma·eu·mi·ya | it's a heart |
| 마주앉아라 | ma·ju·an·ja·ra | sit facing |
| 많단다 | man·tan·da | are many (I tell you) |
| 모든 | mo·deun | every |
| 모습이야 | mo·seu·bi·ya | it's a sight |
| 미소를 | mi·so·reul | smile |
| 시린 | si·rin | chilly |
| 아름다운 | a·reum·da·un | beautiful |
| 웃음과 | u·seum·gwa | laughter and |
| 조화로운 | jo·hwa·ro·un | harmonious |
| 화창한 | hwa·chang·han | sunny |
| 흐린 | heu·rin | cloudy |
Keep these 18 words
Make a free account and the words from “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart” go to your study notebook with spaced review, so they come back right before you forget them.
Create a free accountWith Google, Apple or email · 10 seconds
Questions about “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart”
What is “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart” by AKMU about?
AKMU's “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart” gently argues that sadness is a natural, even lovely part of being happy.
What does “기쁨 뒤에 슬픔이 오는 건” mean in “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart”?
Sorrow coming after joy is a beautiful feeling.
What does “아주 예쁜 돌이 된단다” mean in “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart”?
It will become a very pretty stone.
How do you pronounce “끼우고 나면 다 퍼즐이 될 거야”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “kki·u·go na·myeon da peo·jeu·ri doel kkeo·ya”: that's how it's actually sung by AKMU, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Youngjae goes through all 27 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.