theIDOL.ai

BLACKPINK

Lovesick Girls — BLACKPINK: meaning, key lines and pronunciation

First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync다치고 망가져도 나 뭘 믿고 버티는 거야da·chi·go mang·ga·jyeo·do na mwol mit·kko beo·ti·neun geo·yaEven if I'm hurt and broken, what am I holding onto to keep going?Listen to this line with the translationNo sign-up

What the song is about

BLACKPINK's “Lovesick Girls” is about women who keep chasing love even though it has hurt them again and again. They feel shut in a windowless room under endless night, and they brush off princes, rings and love letters, calling love a drug they tried to quit. Yet the pain has become part of who they are, so they stay stubborn, defiant and a little bittersweet, still reaching for someone.

Updated:

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.

다치고 망가져도 나 뭘 믿고 버티는 거야
Listen from this line

Romanization (as sung): da·chi·go mang·ga·jyeo·do na mwol mit·kko beo·ti·neun geo·ya

Meaning: Even if I'm hurt and broken, what am I holding onto to keep going?

Words in this line
  • 다치고da·chi·gohurt
  • 망가져도mang·ga·jyeo·dobroken
  • 나naI
  • 뭘mwolwhat
  • 믿고mit·kkobelieve
  • 버티는beo·ti·neunhold on
  • 거야geo·yais it

Word for word: hurt broken I what believe hold on is it

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 뭘 믿고 is a rhetorical idiom meaning "relying on what," but translated word-for-word it becomes the garbled "what believe hold on is it." 버티다 means "to endure/hold on." The line is a genuine question to herself: even hurt and broken, what is she relying on to keep going?

네 멋대로 내 사랑을 끝낼 순 없어
Listen from this line

Romanization (as sung): ne meot·ttae·ro nae sa·rang·eul kkeun·nael ssun eop·sseo

Meaning: I can't let you end my love on your own terms.

Words in this line
  • 네neyour
  • 멋대로meot·ttae·roon your own terms
  • 내naemy
  • 사랑을sa·rang·eullove
  • 끝낼kkeun·naelend
  • 순ssuncan
  • 없어eop·sseonot

Word for word: your on your own terms my love end can not

Why it doesn't translate word for word: "네 멋대로" (as you please, on your own whim) is an idiom placed before the object it modifies, and "끝낼 순 없어" fuses into a single "cannot end" ending, both awkward if translated word by word. The line is her refusing to let him walk away on his own terms. Key words: 멋대로 (as one pleases) and 끝낼 (to end).

우린 무얼 찾아서 헤매는 걸까
Listen to the first verse — free

Romanization (as sung): u·rin mu·eol cha·ja·seo he·mae·neun geol·kka

Meaning: What are we searching for, wandering like this?

Words in this line
  • 우린u·rinwe
  • 무얼mu·eolwhat
  • 찾아서cha·ja·seosearch for
  • 헤매는he·mae·neunwander
  • 걸까geol·kkais it

Word for word: we what search for wander is it

Why it doesn't translate word for word: Korean verb-final order puts "wander" at the very end, after the question word and object, so the literal English piles up oddly. 찾아서 means "searching for" and 헤매는 means "wandering/lost," while the ending 걸까 signals a wondering question. She's asking what exactly they're both chasing while drifting aimlessly.

아프다 아물면 또 찾아오는 이 겁 없는 떨림
Listen to the first verse — free

Romanization (as sung): a·peu·da a·mul·myeon tto cha·ja·o·neun i geop eom·neun tteol·lim

Meaning: It hurts, and once it heals, this fearless thrill just comes creeping back again.

Words in this line
  • 아프다a·peu·dait hurts
  • 아물면a·mul·myeonwhen it heals
  • 또ttoagain
  • 찾아오는cha·ja·o·neuncomes back
  • 이ithis
  • 겁geopfear
  • 없는eom·neunwithout
  • 떨림tteol·limtrembling

Word for word: it hurts when it heals again comes back this fear without trembling

Why it doesn't translate word for word: The literal version is clumsy because 아물면 ("once it heals") and 찾아오는 ("that keeps coming") are verb forms stacked before the noun they describe, which Korean does but English can't. It means the pain heals, yet this reckless thrill always creeps back. Key words: 아물다 (heal), 떨림 (thrill).

Lyrics © their rights holders. “Lovesick Girls” — BLACKPINK. 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. Ari checks your answer and saves the new words to your notebook.

Try the lesson

Ask Ari 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 Ari

Song vocabulary

Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.

WordSounds likeMeaning
가둔ga·dunlock
것처럼geot·cheo·reomas if
결국gyeol·gukeventually
기다린gi·da·rinwaited for
끝장을kkeut·jjang·eulto the end
너만neo·manonly you
눈물이nun·mu·ritears
눈빛nun·bitgaze
몰라mol·ladon't know
사랑은sa·rang·eunlove
아마a·mamaybe
아무a·muno
아파도a·pa·doeven if it hurts
아픔a·peumpain
없인eop·ssinwithout
의미가ui·mi·gameaning
있으면i·sseu·myeonif there is
잠깐일지도jam·kka·nil·jji·domight be temporary

Keep these 18 words

Make a free account and the words from “Lovesick Girls” go to your study notebook with spaced review, so they come back right before you forget them.

Create a free account

With Google, Apple or email · 10 seconds

Questions about “Lovesick Girls”

What is “Lovesick Girls” by BLACKPINK about?

BLACKPINK's “Lovesick Girls” is about women who keep chasing love even though it has hurt them again and again.

What does “다치고 망가져도 나 뭘 믿고 버티는 거야” mean in “Lovesick Girls”?

Even if I'm hurt and broken, what am I holding onto to keep going? 뭘 믿고 is a rhetorical idiom meaning "relying on what," but translated word-for-word it becomes the garbled "what believe hold on is it." 버티다 means "to…

What does “네 멋대로 내 사랑을 끝낼 순 없어” mean in “Lovesick Girls”?

I can't let you end my love on your own terms. "네 멋대로" (as you please, on your own whim) is an idiom placed before the object it modifies, and "끝낼 순 없어" fuses into a single "cannot end" ending, both…

How do you pronounce “우린 무얼 찾아서 헤매는 걸까”?

In the song it sounds roughly like “u·rin mu·eol cha·ja·seo he·mae·neun geol·kka”: that's how it's actually sung by BLACKPINK, not the textbook romanization.

Where can I see every line of “Lovesick Girls” explained?

This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Ari goes through all 54 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
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.

Rights holder? Request removal · Terms

All songs →

Listen to the first verse — freeNo sign-up