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Red Velvet

Psycho — Red Velvet: meaning, key lines and pronunciation

First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync넌 그걸 너무 잘 알고, 날 쥐락펴락해neon geu·geol neo·mu jal al·go, nal jwi·rak·pyeo·ra·kaeYou know it so well, and you've got me wrapped around your fingerListen to this line with the translationNo sign-up

What the song is about

Red Velvet's “Psycho” is about a couple whose love swings between blowups and tender reconciliations while onlookers call them strange. The singer feels dizzy and drained without the other person, and sees them as both trouble and a beautiful, slightly sad match, like the moon and the river. Outside judgment gradually stops mattering, and the song settles into a reassuring, easygoing acceptance of being odd together.

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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.

넌 그걸 너무 잘 알고, 날 쥐락펴락해
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Romanization (as sung): neon geu·geol neo·mu jal al·go, nal jwi·rak·pyeo·ra·kae

Meaning: You know it so well, and you've got me wrapped around your finger

Words in this line
  • 넌neonyou
  • 그걸geu·geolthat
  • 너무neo·muso
  • 잘jalwell
  • 알고,al·go,know and
  • 날nalme
  • 쥐락펴락해jwi·rak·pyeo·ra·kaewrap around finger

Word for word: You that too-much well know-and, me grip-release-do

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 쥐락펴락하다 literally means 'to grip then release' — like a hand clenching and opening. Idiomatically it means to have total control over someone, to wrap them around your finger.

다시 안 볼 듯 싸우다가도 붙어 다니니 말야
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Romanization (as sung): da·si an bol tteut ssa·u·da·ga·do bu·teo da·ni·ni ma·rya

Meaning: We fight like we'll never see each other again, but end up sticking together, you know

Words in this line
  • 다시da·siagain
  • 안annot
  • 볼bol(will) see
  • 듯tteutas if
  • 싸우다가도ssa·u·da·ga·doeven while fighting
  • 붙어bu·teostuck together
  • 다니니da·ni·nigo around
  • 말야ma·ryayou know

Word for word: As if won't see again fighting-even-while, stuck-together going-around, saying

Why it doesn't translate word for word: '안 볼 듯' literally 'as if won't see' is a set phrase for a fight that looks like a breakup. '붙어 다니니' literally 'go around stuck together' pictures inseparability. '말야' is short for '말이야', a casual tag reflected in tone rather than word-for-word.

Hey trouble 경고 따윈 없이 오는 너
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Romanization (as sung): Hey trouble gyeong·go tta·win eop·ssi o·neun neo

Meaning: Hey, trouble, you come without any warning

Words in this line
  • 경고gyeong·gowarning
  • 따윈tta·winanything like
  • 없이eop·ssiwithout
  • 오는o·neuncoming
  • 너neoyou

Word for word: Hey, trouble, warning without coming you

Why it doesn't translate word for word: '경고 따윈 없이' literally 'without a thing like a warning' — '따위' adds a dismissive nuance of 'not even a hint'.

난 온몸으로 널 느끼고 있어
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Romanization (as sung): nan on·mo·meu·ro neol neu·kki·go i·sseo

Meaning: I'm feeling you with my whole body.

Words in this line
  • 난nanI
  • 온몸으로on·mo·meu·rowhole body
  • 널neolyou
  • 느끼고neu·kki·gofeeling
  • 있어i·sseoam

Word for word: I whole body you feeling am

Why it doesn't translate word for word: The literal is clumsy because Korean places the object 널 (you) before the verb and attaches the particle 으로 ("with, by means of") to 온몸 (whole body), plus the progressive ending -고 있어. It means the speaker feels the other person intensely, with every part of their body. Key word: 온몸으로 (with one's whole body).

Lyrics © their rights holders. “Psycho” — Red Velvet. Quoted for commentary and learning.

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Song vocabulary

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

WordSounds likeMeaning
간대gan·dae(they say it) comes
그리곤geu·ri·gonand then
기운도gi·un·doenergy too
껴안아kkyeo·a·nahug
둘이du·rithe two of us
만났대man·nat·ttae(they say) met
말해ma·raesay
맞아ma·jathat's right
바보ba·bofool
보고bo·golooking
부서지게bu·seo·ji·geuntil we shatter
사이야sa·i·yarelationship
서로seo·roeach other
서로를seo·ro·reuleach other
슬퍼져seul·peo·jyeobecome sad
않대an·taeisn't, (they) say
우릴u·rilus
자꾸ja·kkukeep on

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Questions about “Psycho”

What is “Psycho” by Red Velvet about?

Red Velvet's “Psycho” is about a couple whose love swings between blowups and tender reconciliations while onlookers call them strange.

What does “넌 그걸 너무 잘 알고, 날 쥐락펴락해” mean in “Psycho”?

You know it so well, and you've got me wrapped around your finger. 쥐락펴락하다 literally means 'to grip then release' — like a hand clenching and opening.

What does “다시 안 볼 듯 싸우다가도 붙어 다니니 말야” mean in “Psycho”?

We fight like we'll never see each other again, but end up sticking together, you know. '안 볼 듯' literally 'as if won't see' is a set phrase for a fight that looks like a breakup.

How do you pronounce “Hey trouble 경고 따윈 없이 오는 너”?

In the song it sounds roughly like “Hey trouble gyeong·go tta·win eop·ssi o·neun neo”: that's how it's actually sung by Red Velvet, not the textbook romanization.

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

This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Mina goes through all 63 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
Red Velvet
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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