모래 알갱이 — Lim Young Woong: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync나는 작은 바람에도 흩어질na·neun ja·geun ba·ra·me·do heu·teo·jilI'm something that scatters in the slightest breezeListen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
Lim Young Woong’s “모래 알갱이,” whose title means a grain of sand, is a tender love song about offering one’s heart as a soft place for someone to rest. The singer feels tiny and easily scattered, so he asks the loved one to step lightly, then welcomes their footprints and is ready to drift along with whatever wind or waves they bring. The mood is humble, quiet devotion.
Key lines
3 lines from the song in Korean, with how they sound and what they mean. The full line-by-line breakdown lives in the app.
나는 작은 바람에도 흩어질Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): na·neun ja·geun ba·ra·me·do heu·teo·jil
Meaning: I'm something that scatters in the slightest breeze
Words in this line- 나는na·neunI
- 작은ja·geunsmall
- 바람에도ba·ra·me·doeven to wind
- 흩어질heu·teo·jilwill scatter
그 바람에 실려 홀연히 따라 걸어가요Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): geu ba·ra·me sil·lyeo ho·ryeon·hi tta·ra geo·reo·ga·yo
Meaning: Carried by that wind, I'll walk along without a trace
Words in this line- 그geuthat
- 바람에ba·ra·meby wind
- 실려sil·lyeocarried
- 홀연히ho·ryeon·hisuddenly
- 따라tta·rafollowing
- 걸어가요geo·reo·ga·yowalk along
홀연히 means 'suddenly, without a trace'. With 실려 ('carried along') it means drifting off after the wind, light and unnoticed.
언제든 내 맘에 쉬어가요Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): eon·je·deun nae ma·me swi·eo·ga·yo
Meaning: Come rest in my heart whenever you like.
Words in this line- 언제든eon·je·deunwhenever
- 내naemy
- 맘에ma·mein heart
- 쉬어가요swi·eo·ga·yorest along the way
Word for word: Whenever, in my heart, rest-and-go.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 맘 is a casual short form of 마음 ('heart, mind'), so 'in my heart' feels warm rather than anatomical. 쉬어가요 combines 쉬다 ('to rest') and 가다 ('to go') and means 'take a break on your way', i.e. stop by for a while. The ending -요 turns it into a gentle invitation, which is why the word-for-word version is clumsy while the real meaning is 'come whenever you like'.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “모래 알갱이” — Lim Young Woong. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Mini-lesson: fill in the missing word
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Ask HaruSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가벼운 | ga·byeo·un | light |
| 가볍게 | ga·byeop·kke | lightly |
| 곁에 | gyeo·te | beside |
| 그대 | geu·dae | you |
| 그대여 | geu·dae·yeo | oh, you |
| 그래요 | geu·rae·yo | yes, right |
| 그런 | geu·reon | such |
| 그렇게 | geu·reo·ke | like that |
| 깊게 | gip·kke | deeply |
| 내어요 | nae·eo·yo | make |
| 내어줘요 | nae·eo·jwo·yo | give, make room |
| 모래 | mo·rae | sand |
| 모래에 | mo·rae·e | on sand |
| 바람이 | ba·ra·mi | wind |
| 발자국을 | bal·ja·gu·geul | footprint |
| 불거든 | bul·kkeo·deun | if it blows |
| 숨을 | su·meul | breath |
| 쉬듯이 | swi·deu·si | as if breathing |
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Questions about “모래 알갱이”
What is “모래 알갱이” by Lim Young Woong about?
Lim Young Woong’s “모래 알갱이,” whose title means a grain of sand, is a tender love song about offering one’s heart as a soft place for someone to rest.
What does “언제든 내 맘에 쉬어가요” mean in “모래 알갱이”?
Come rest in my heart whenever you like. 맘 is a casual short form of 마음 ('heart, mind'), so 'in my heart' feels warm rather than anatomical.
What does “나는 작은 바람에도 흩어질” mean in “모래 알갱이”?
I'm something that scatters in the slightest breeze.
How do you pronounce “그 바람에 실려 홀연히 따라 걸어가요”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “geu ba·ra·me sil·lyeo ho·ryeon·hi tta·ra geo·reo·ga·yo”: that's how it's actually sung by Lim Young Woong, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “모래 알갱이” explained?
This page explains 3 key lines. In the theIDOL app Haru goes through all 25 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
- Lim Young Woong
- Official video
- 1theK (원더케이) · 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.