EXO

Crown — EXO: meaning, key lines and pronunciation

What does “Crown” by EXO mean?

“Crown” by EXO is about a group who gladly accept a crown and bet everything on one person, promising to guard it even if they break. A kiss that reveals the truth and a hand pulling them close sit beside resentful eyes, wailing sirens and a fight that has already begun.

First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync망가지더라도 다 던져 널 위해 지켜낼 Crownmang·ga·ji·deo·ra·do da deon·jeo neo rwi·hae ji·kyeo·nael CrownEven if I break, I'll throw it all in for you and protect the crown.Play the first verse with translationNo sign-up

What the song is about

The mood is fierce yet devoted, with the long wait almost over.

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.

망가지더라도 다 던져 널 위해 지켜낼 Crown
Listen from this line

Romanization (as sung): mang·ga·ji·deo·ra·do da deon·jeo neo rwi·hae ji·kyeo·nael Crown

Meaning: Even if I break, I'll throw it all in for you and protect the crown.

Words in this line
  • 망가지더라도mang·ga·ji·deo·ra·doeven if I break
  • 다daall
  • 던져deon·jeothrow
  • 널neoyou (obj.)
  • 위해rwi·haefor
  • 지켜낼ji·kyeo·naelwill protect

Word for word: Even if broken, all I throw, you for, will protect-through Crown.

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 던져 alone means throw, but 다 던져 means give everything. 지켜낼 joins 지키다 (guard) with 내다 (see it through), so protect no matter what. The literal version is broken by Korean word order and suffixes.

입 맞춘 그 순간 느낀 Truth yeah
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Romanization (as sung): im mat·chun geu sun·gan neu·kkin Truth yeah

Meaning: The moment our lips met, I felt the truth.

Words in this line
  • 입immouth
  • 맞춘mat·chunmatched
  • 그geuthat
  • 순간sun·ganmoment
  • 느낀neu·kkinfelt

Word for word: Mouth matched that moment felt Truth, yeah.

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 입 alone means mouth and 맞추다 means to fit together. Together 입 맞추다 means to kiss. The literal version is odd because Korean describes a kiss as fitting mouths.

난 오직 네 눈길 하나면 돼
Listen to the first verse — free

Romanization (as sung): na no·jing ne nun·gil ha·na·myeon dwae

Meaning: All I need is a single glance from you.

Words in this line
  • 난naI
  • 오직no·jingonly
  • 네neyour
  • 눈길nun·gilgaze
  • 하나면ha·na·myeonif just one
  • 돼dwaeis enough

Word for word: I only your gaze one if-is becomes.

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 눈길 joins 'eye' and 'road', which just means a gaze. 하나면 돼 is 'one' + 'if' + 'becomes', and together it means 'one is enough'. The word order and the 'if' make the literal version clumsy.

절대 누구도 허락할 수 없어
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Romanization (as sung): jeol·ttae nu·gu·do heo·ra·kal ssu eop·sseo

Meaning: I won't let anyone have it.

Words in this line
  • 절대jeol·ttaeabsolutely
  • 누구도nu·gu·donobody
  • 허락할heo·ra·kalto permit
  • 수ssuway, ability
  • 없어eop·sseothere's none

Word for word: Absolutely anyone-even permit way does-not-exist.

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 수 없어 literally says 'there is no way', meaning 'cannot'. 누구도 'anyone even' with a negative means 'nobody at all', and 절대 adds 'absolutely'. Together they form a firm 'I will never allow anyone'.

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Lyrics © their rights holders. “Crown” — EXO. Quoted for commentary and learning.

Song facts

Lines
56
Key lines explained
4
Words explained
18
Length
2:50

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Song vocabulary

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

WordSounds likeMeaning
가져도ga·jeo·doeven if you take
감각이gam·ga·gisensation
갖고gat·kkoto have
걸어geo·reostake
그거면geu·geo·myeonif that
기꺼이gi·kkeo·igladly
기다린gi·da·rinwaited-for
끄는kkeu·neunpulling
너니까neo·ni·kkabecause it's you
너에게neo·e·geto you
망설이지mang·seo·ri·jihesitate
뻗어ppeo·deostretch out
손을so·neulhand (obj.)
유일한yu·i·ranonly
전부를jeon·bu·reuleverything
주인은ju·i·neunowner
하나ha·naone
향한hyang·handirected toward

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Questions about “Crown”

What is “Crown” by EXO about?

“Crown” by EXO is about a group who gladly accept a crown and bet everything on one person, promising to guard it even if they break. A kiss that reveals the truth and a hand pulling them close sit beside resentful eyes, wailing sirens and a fight that has already begun. The mood is fierce yet devoted, with the long wait almost over.

What does “망가지더라도 다 던져 널 위해 지켜낼 Crown” mean in “Crown”?

In “Crown” by EXO, “망가지더라도 다 던져 널 위해 지켜낼 Crown” means: Even if I break, I'll throw it all in for you and protect the crown. 던져 alone means throw, but 다 던져 means give everything. 지켜낼 joins 지키다 (guard) with 내다 (see it through), so protect no matter what. The literal version is broken by Korean word order and suffixes.

What does “입 맞춘 그 순간 느낀 Truth yeah” mean in “Crown”?

In “Crown” by EXO, “입 맞춘 그 순간 느낀 Truth yeah” means: The moment our lips met, I felt the truth. 입 alone means mouth and 맞추다 means to fit together. Together 입 맞추다 means to kiss. The literal version is odd because Korean describes a kiss as fitting mouths.

How do you pronounce “난 오직 네 눈길 하나면 돼”?

“난 오직 네 눈길 하나면 돼” from “Crown” by EXO is romanized as “na nojing ne nungil hanamyeon dwae”: that is how it is actually sung, sound changes included, not the textbook spelling.

Where can I see every line of “Crown” explained?

This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Youngjae goes through all 56 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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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
EXO
Official video
SMTOWN · 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.

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