Cookie — NewJeans: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync너무 부드러우니 자꾸만 떠오르니neo·mu bu·deu·reo·u·ni ja·kku·man tteo·o·reu·niIt's so soft, you keep thinking about it.Listen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
“Cookie” by NewJeans turns freshly baked sweets into a teasing metaphor for how they draw someone they like closer. They promise a flavor so irresistible that he will crave nothing else, and they boast of a recipe he won't find anywhere but their own place. Confident and cheeky, they also shrug off any blame if the sugar does him harm.
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.
너무 부드러우니 자꾸만 떠오르니Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): neo·mu bu·deu·reo·u·ni ja·kku·man tteo·o·reu·ni
Meaning: It's so soft, you keep thinking about it.
Words in this line- 너무neo·muso
- 부드러우니bu·deu·reo·u·nisoft
- 자꾸만ja·kku·mankeep
- 떠오르니tteo·o·reu·nithinking of it
Word for word: so soft keep thinking of it
Why it doesn't translate word for word: Both clauses end in the same "-니" ending, which links a reason to a result ("because... so...") without restating who or what is being discussed, so the literal drops the words "it" and "you". The line means the cookie is so soft that it keeps coming to mind. Key words: 부드러우니 (so soft, that), 떠오르니 (keeps coming to mind).
식사는 없어 배고파도Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): sik·ssa·neun eop·sseo bae·go·pa·do
Meaning: There's no food, I'm hungry.
Words in this line- 식사는sik·ssa·neunfood
- 없어eop·sseothere is none
- 배고파도bae·go·pa·doeven if hungry
Word for word: food there is none even if hungry
Why it doesn't translate word for word: Korean drops the subject and ends with the verb, so it literally reads "food there-is-none even-if hungry" with no "I" stated. 도 fuses onto 배고파 to mean "even though," not a separate word. 식사 means a full meal, not just any food. Meaning: no meal is available despite being hungry.
널 choco'-chip 으로 sprinkle로 정신 못 차리게 만들고 싶어Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): neol choco'-chip eu·ro sprinkle-lo jeong·sin mot cha·ri·ge man·deul·go si·peo
Meaning: I want to sprinkle you with chocolate chips and make you lose your mind.
Words in this line- 널neolyou
- 으로eu·rowith
- sprinkle로sprinkle-losprinkling
- 정신jeong·sinmind
- 못motcan't
- 차리게cha·ri·gecome to senses
- 만들고man·deul·gomake
- 싶어si·peowant
Word for word: You with chocolate chip sprinkling, with sprinkle mind lose make want.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: The particle 으로 (with/using) hooks directly onto the English loanwords "chocolate chip" and "sprinkle," so the literal version repeats "with" awkwardly. The idiom 정신 못 차리다 (literally "can't gather your mind") means to lose your senses over someone, which the literal rendering flattens to "mind lose." The singer wants to dazzle the other person so completely they can't think straight.
달콤한 맛만 디저트만 만 원하게 될 거 알잖아Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): dal·kom·han man·man di·jeo·teu·man man won·ha·ge doel kkeo al·ja·na
Meaning: You know you'll only want sweet things, only desserts (yeah, yo).
Words in this line- 달콤한dal·kom·hansweet
- 맛만man·mantaste only
- 디저트만di·jeo·teu·mandessert only
- 만manonly
- 원하게won·ha·gewant (will)
- 될doelwill become
- 거kkeothing
- 알잖아al·ja·nayou know
Word for word: Sweet taste only, dessert only, only want-will thing you-know.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 달콤한 맛만 디저트만 = sweet taste and desserts, but 만 (only) repeats twice for emphasis. 만 원하게 될 거 알잖아 = not just 'you know', but 알잖아 (you already know) — a confident prediction, as if the speaker already knows the listener's future.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “Cookie” — NewJeans. 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. Rena checks your answer and saves the new words to your notebook.
Try the lessonAsk Rena 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 RenaSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 굽지 | gup·jji | I bake |
| 그런데 | geu·reon·de | but |
| 놀러 | nol·leo | to play, visit |
| 들려줘 | deul·lyeo·jwo | let me hear |
| 만든 | man·deun | made |
| 목말라도 | mong·mal·la·do | even if thirsty |
| 목소리를 | mok·sso·ri·reul | voice |
| 몰라 | mol·la | don't know, not my problem |
| 보고 | bo·go | see |
| 생겨도 | saeng·gyeo·do | even if you get |
| 숨기고 | sum·gi·go | hiding |
| 얼마든지 | eol·ma·deun·ji | as much as |
| 음료는 | eum·nyo·neun | drink |
| 있지 | it·jji | there is |
| 있지만 | it·jji·man | but |
| 집에만 | ji·be·man | house only |
| 충치 | chung·chi | cavity |
| 쿠키 | ku·ki | cookie |
Keep these 18 words
Make a free account and the words from “Cookie” 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 “Cookie”
What is “Cookie” by NewJeans about?
“Cookie” by NewJeans turns freshly baked sweets into a teasing metaphor for how they draw someone they like closer.
What does “너무 부드러우니 자꾸만 떠오르니” mean in “Cookie”?
It's so soft, you keep thinking about it. Both clauses end in the same "-니" ending, which links a reason to a result ("because... so...") without restating who or what is being discussed, so the…
What does “식사는 없어 배고파도” mean in “Cookie”?
There's no food, I'm hungry. Korean drops the subject and ends with the verb, so it literally reads "food there-is-none even-if hungry" with no "I" stated.
How do you pronounce “널 choco'-chip 으로 sprinkle로 정신 못 차리게 만들고 싶어”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “neol choco'-chip eu·ro sprinkle-lo jeong·sin mot cha·ri·ge man·deul·go si·peo”: that's how it's actually sung by NewJeans, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “Cookie” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Rena goes through all 57 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
- NewJeans
- Official video
- HYBE LABELS · 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.