Hot Sauce — NCT DREAM: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync입맛대로 골라 ma dishim·mat·ttae·ro gol·la ma dishPick my dish just to your tasteListen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
NCT DREAM's “Hot Sauce” is a playful, confident invitation in which the group casts themselves as chefs serving up a fiery, irresistible dish. They tease a partner to taste and stay close, promising the heat will keep climbing, that sugary, forgettable flavors can't compete, and that once hooked, the partner will keep coming back. It all plays out as a cheeky kitchen flirtation, full of swagger and rising temperature.
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.
입맛대로 골라 ma dishListen from this lineRomanization (as sung): im·mat·ttae·ro gol·la ma dish
Meaning: Pick my dish just to your taste
Words in this line- 입맛대로im·mat·ttae·roto taste
- 골라gol·lachoose
입맛대로 literally reads 'mouth-taste-according': 입맛 alone means taste/appetite, 대로 alone means 'according to'. Together they form the fixed phrase 'to one's own taste', not a literal chain.
너와 나 사이 (사이) 선명히 보인 (보인)Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): neo·wa na sa·i (sa·i) seon·myeong·hi bo·in (bo·in)
Meaning: It became clear between us (clear)
Words in this line- 너와neo·wayou and
- 나name
- 사이sa·ibetween
- (사이)(sa·i)between
- 선명히seon·myeong·hiclearly
- 보인bo·inappeared
- (보인)(bo·in)appeared
'보인' is the passive of 보다 ('became visible'), not 'I saw' — so '선명히 보인' means 'it appeared clearly' on its own.
네 맘을 더 섞어놔 이젠 남김없이Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): ne ma·meul deo seo·kkeo·nwa i·jen nam·gi·meop·ssi
Meaning: Mix your heart in deeper — now completely, nothing held back
Words in this line- 네neyour
- 맘을ma·meulheart
- 더deomore
- 섞어놔seo·kkeo·nwamix in
- 이젠i·jennow
- 남김없이nam·gi·meop·ssinothing left
"섞어놔" combines "mix" (섞다) with the auxiliary "놓다/놔," which means to do something and leave it in that state — so it's "mix in and leave mixed," not a one-time stir. "남김없이" (nothing left over) pushes it into total merging.
사로잡은 이런 끌림Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): sa·ro·ja·beun i·reon kkeul·lim
Meaning: This pull that's captivated me
Words in this line- 사로잡은sa·ro·ja·beunthat captivated
- 이런i·reonthis kind of
- 끌림kkeul·limpull
사로잡다 literally means 'to capture alive' (사로 = alive, 잡다 = to catch) — a vivid image of being completely, helplessly captured, stronger than plain 'liked'.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “Hot Sauce” — NCT DREAM. 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. Eunsu checks your answer and saves the new words to your notebook.
Try the lessonAsk Eunsu 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 EunsuSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가는 | ga·neun | going |
| 가능하겠니 | ga·neung·ha·gen·ni | could it be possible |
| 감각 | gam·gak | senses |
| 감당 | gam·dang | handle |
| 강렬해 | gang·nyeo·rae | it's intense |
| 것만 | geon·man | as if just |
| 궁금해 | gung·geum·hae | curious |
| 그저 | geu·jeo | just |
| 긴장을 | gin·jang·eul | tension |
| 깊이 | gi·pi | deeply |
| 깨워 | kkae·wo | awaken |
| 너만의 | neo·ma·nui | only yours |
| 따라 | tta·ra | follow |
| 바래 | ba·rae | I wish |
| 없잖아 | eop·jja·na | there's no way |
| 원해 | won·hae | want |
| 이미 | i·mi | already |
| 타오를 | ta·o·reul | blazing |
Keep these 18 words
Make a free account and the words from “Hot Sauce” go to your study notebook with spaced review, so they come back right before you forget them.
Create a free accountWith Google, Apple or email · 10 seconds
Questions about “Hot Sauce”
What is “Hot Sauce” by NCT DREAM about?
NCT DREAM's “Hot Sauce” is a playful, confident invitation in which the group casts themselves as chefs serving up a fiery, irresistible dish.
What does “입맛대로 골라 ma dish” mean in “Hot Sauce”?
Pick my dish just to your taste.
What does “너와 나 사이 (사이) 선명히 보인 (보인)” mean in “Hot Sauce”?
It became clear between us (clear).
How do you pronounce “네 맘을 더 섞어놔 이젠 남김없이”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “ne ma·meul deo seo·kkeo·nwa i·jen nam·gi·meop·ssi”: that's how it's actually sung by NCT DREAM, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “Hot Sauce” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Eunsu goes through all 76 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
- NCT DREAM
- 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.