Kill This Love — BLACKPINK: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync매번 미칠듯한 high 뒤엔 뱉어야 하는 pricemae·beon mi·chil·tteu·tan high dwi·en bae·teo·ya ha·neun priceEvery time a maddening high, then you have to pay the price.Listen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
“Kill This Love” by BLACKPINK is about a thrilling but harmful romance that the singer knows she has to end. Sweet greetings turn into cold goodbyes, the excitement burns bright red, and she hates how weak the feelings make her, even as she admits she still loves him. Standing at a cliff's edge, she chooses to cut love off before it destroys them both, in a mood that is defiant yet sad.
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.
매번 미칠듯한 high 뒤엔 뱉어야 하는 priceListen from this lineRomanization (as sung): mae·beon mi·chil·tteu·tan high dwi·en bae·teo·ya ha·neun price
Meaning: Every time a maddening high, then you have to pay the price.
Words in this line- 매번mae·beonevery time
- 미칠듯한mi·chil·tteu·tanmaddening
- 뒤엔dwi·enthen
- 뱉어야bae·teo·yahave to spit out
- 하는ha·neundo
Word for word: Every time a maddening high, then you have to pay the price.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 뒤엔 is 뒤에 ('after') with the topic particle -는: 'and after that…'. 뱉어야 하는 ('that you have to spit out') sits right before price — the high has to be paid back, almost coughed up. 뱉다 means 'to spit'; here it's paying up whether you want to or not.
딱한 감정의 노예 얼어 죽을 사랑해Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): tta·kan gam·jeong·ui no·ye eo·reo ju·geul sa·rang·hae
Meaning: Slave to pathetic feelings — damn it, I love you.
Words in this line- 딱한tta·kanpathetic
- 감정의gam·jeong·uifeelings
- 노예no·yeslave
- 얼어eo·reofreeze
- 죽을ju·geuldie
- 사랑해sa·rang·haelove
Word for word: Pitiful emotion's slave, freeze-to-death love-you
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 감정의 노예 is 'a slave of feelings' — the particle 의 ('of') comes first, so the literal order is reversed. 얼어 죽을 ('may it freeze to death') is a colloquial curse placed right before 사랑해 ('I love you'): an annoyed, ironic 'damn it, I love you'. 딱한 means 'pitiful'.
나 어떡해 나약한 날 견딜 수 없어Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): na eo·tteo·kae na·ya·kan nal gyeon·dil ssu eop·sseo
Meaning: What do I do — I can't stand this weak version of me.
Words in this line- 나naI
- 어떡해eo·tteo·kaewhat do I do
- 나약한na·ya·kanweak
- 날nalme
- 견딜gyeon·dilendure
- 수ssucan't
- 없어eop·sseocan't
Word for word: I what do I do weak me endure can't can't
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 어떡해 is a fused contraction of "어떻게 해" ("what do I do"), and 날 shrinks 나를 ("me") into one syllable, which is why the literal piles up fragments. It means she can't stand being this weak version of herself right now. 견딜 수 없어 literally stacks "endure" with "cannot," giving the doubled "can't."
만약에 내가 널 지우게 된다면Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): ma·nya·ge nae·ga neol ji·u·ge doen·da·myeon
Meaning: If I ever end up erasing you
Words in this line- 만약에ma·nya·geif
- 내가nae·gaI
- 널neolyou
- 지우게ji·u·geerase
- 된다면doen·da·myeonif happens
Word for word: if I you erase if happens
Why it doesn't translate word for word: The literal version is choppy because Korean states the condition twice (만약에 ... 된다면) and puts the object before the verb. 지우게 된다 adds a sense of "ending up" erasing, not choosing to. The line imagines possibly erasing this person from her life. Key words: 만약에 (if), 지우다 (to erase).
Lyrics © their rights holders. “Kill This Love” — BLACKPINK. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 가린 | ga·rin | covering |
| 가장 | ga·jang | most |
| 감춘 | gam·chun | hiding |
| 같겠지만 | gat·kket·jji·man | seem |
| 거짓말 | geo·jin·mal | lie |
| 걸로 | geol·lo | one |
| 결국엔 | gyeol·gu·gen | in the end |
| 끊어야겠어 | kkeu·neo·ya·ge·sseo | must cut off |
| 끝에 | kkeu·te | edge |
| 끝엔 | kkeu·ten | at the end |
| 내놔봐 | nae·nwa·bwa | give |
| 누가 | nu·ga | who |
| 눈물을 | nun·mu·reul | tears |
| 눈에 | nu·ne | eyes |
| 눈을 | nu·neul | eyes |
| 사랑의 | sa·rang·ui | of love |
| 숨통을 | sum·tong·eul | breath (acc.) |
| 애써 | ae·sseo | forcing myself |
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Questions about “Kill This Love”
What is “Kill This Love” by BLACKPINK about?
“Kill This Love” by BLACKPINK is about a thrilling but harmful romance that the singer knows she has to end.
What does “매번 미칠듯한 high 뒤엔 뱉어야 하는 price” mean in “Kill This Love”?
Every time a maddening high, then you have to pay the price. 뒤엔 is 뒤에 ('after') with the topic particle -는: 'and after that…'.
What does “딱한 감정의 노예 얼어 죽을 사랑해” mean in “Kill This Love”?
Slave to pathetic feelings — damn it, I love you. 감정의 노예 is 'a slave of feelings' — the particle 의 ('of') comes first, so the literal order is reversed.
How do you pronounce “나 어떡해 나약한 날 견딜 수 없어”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “na eo·tteo·kae na·ya·kan nal gyeon·dil ssu eop·sseo”: that's how it's actually sung by BLACKPINK, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “Kill This Love” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Bomi goes through all 51 lines word by word, in sync with the song; the first verse is free and needs no sign-up.
Official music video
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Credits and sources
- Artist
- BLACKPINK
- Official video
- BLACKPINK · 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.