모이세 — Lim Young Woong: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync산 넘고 물 건너왔소이다san neom·kko mul geon·neo·wat·sso·i·daWe crossed mountains and rivers to get hereListen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
Lim Young Woong’s “모이세” is a rowdy invitation to gather for a night of drinking, drumming and singing, in praise of Korea and its people. Makgeolli cups, janggu rhythms and the Han River flowing under the moon tie the feast to the land itself. As the party winds down, the singer says the bond between people is what lasts, and promises another meeting.
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.
산 넘고 물 건너왔소이다Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): san neom·kko mul geon·neo·wat·sso·i·da
Meaning: We crossed mountains and rivers to get here
Words in this line- 산sanmountain
- 넘고neom·kkocrossing over
- 물mulwater
- 건너왔소이다geon·neo·wat·sso·i·dawe have crossed and come
The archaic ending '-소이다' gives it an old epic-storytelling ring.
얼쑤 좋다 지화자Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): eol·ssu jo·ta ji·hwa·ja
Meaning: Woo-hoo, great, hooray!
Words in this line- 얼쑤eol·ssuwoo-hoo
- 좋다jo·tagreat
- 지화자ji·hwa·jahooray
얼쑤/좋다/지화자 are chuimsae — traditional vocal cheers used in pansori and folk songs to encourage the performer, like English 'yeah!' or 'woo!' — they carry no literal dictionary meaning here.
친구여 이리 오시게Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): chin·gu·yeo i·ri o·si·ge
Meaning: Friend, come this way
Words in this line- 친구여chin·gu·yeofriend
- 이리i·rithis way
- 오시게o·si·gecome
The ending -sige is an old poetic imperative form found in folk songs like Arirang — it lands as a warm, old-fashioned invitation rather than a plain "come."
또 보세 잘 가시게 형제들아Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): tto bo·se jal ga·si·ge hyeong·je·deu·ra
Meaning: See you again, take care, brothers!
Words in this line- 또ttoagain
- 보세bo·selet's meet
- 잘jalwell
- 가시게ga·si·gego well
- 형제들아hyeong·je·deu·rabrothers!
'-세' and '-시게' are archaic invitational/wish endings from folk song and pansori, not everyday speech: '보세' literally means 'let's go ahead and meet,' and '가시게' is an old-fashioned polite 'go in peace.'
Lyrics © their rights holders. “모이세” — Lim Young Woong. Quoted for commentary and learning.
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Ask EunsuSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가락 | ga·rak | tune |
| 걸어 | geo·reo | walking |
| 꽹과리야 | kkwaeng·gwa·ri·ya | kkwaenggwari! |
| 닿네 | dan·ne | reaches |
| 대한민국 | dae·han·min·guk | Republic of Korea |
| 대한의 | dae·ha·nui | Korea's |
| 덩기덕 | deong·gi·deok | (drum sound) |
| 동방 | dong·bang | the East |
| 발맞춰 | bal·mat·chwo | in step |
| 밤은 | ba·meun | night |
| 부딪혀서 | bu·di·chyeo·seo | clashing together |
| 북소리에 | buk·sso·ri·e | to the drumbeat |
| 삼천리 | sam·cheol·li | three-thousand-ri land |
| 어이 | eo·i | hey |
| 우리는 | u·ri·neun | we |
| 울려라 | ul·lyeo·ra | ring out |
| 자랑스러운 | ja·rang·seu·reo·un | proud |
| 잔치 | jan·chi | feast |
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Questions about “모이세”
What is “모이세” by Lim Young Woong about?
Lim Young Woong’s “모이세” is a rowdy invitation to gather for a night of drinking, drumming and singing, in praise of Korea and its people.
What does “산 넘고 물 건너왔소이다” mean in “모이세”?
We crossed mountains and rivers to get here.
What does “얼쑤 좋다 지화자” mean in “모이세”?
Woo-hoo, great, hooray!
How do you pronounce “친구여 이리 오시게”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “chin·gu·yeo i·ri o·si·ge”: that's how it's actually sung by Lim Young Woong, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “모이세” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Eunsu goes through all 52 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
- Lim Young Woong
- Official video
- 임영웅 · 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.