Roy Kim
If You Ask Me What Love Is (내게 사랑이 뭐냐고 물어본다면) — Roy Kim: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync내게 사랑이 뭐냐고 물어본다면nae·ge sa·rang·i mwo·nya·go mu·reo·bon·da·myeonIf you ask me what love is,Listen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
This Roy Kim ballad is a quiet answer to an old question about what love really is. Looking back on a long relationship that has changed since its first season, the singer argues that love is not the early rush of excitement but the comfort of knowing each other well, staying patient when things go wrong and choosing to understand one another. Sunsets and night skies stand in for the years still ahead, as beautiful as the ones already shared.
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.
내게 사랑이 뭐냐고 물어본다면Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): nae·ge sa·rang·i mwo·nya·go mu·reo·bon·da·myeon
Meaning: If you ask me what love is,
Words in this line- 내게nae·geto me
- 사랑이sa·rang·ilove
- 뭐냐고mwo·nya·gowhat is it
- 물어본다면mu·reo·bon·da·myeonif you ask
Word for word: To-me love what-is-quote if-ask
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 뭐냐고 is 'what is it?' with -고, which turns the question into reported speech. 물어본다면 combines 'ask', 'try' and 'if'. Together it sounds like a polite 'if you happen to ask'.
때론 맘 같지 않아도Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): ttae·ron mam gat·jji a·na·do
Meaning: Even when things sometimes don't go as I wish,
Words in this line- 때론ttae·ronsometimes
- 맘mamheart
- 같지gat·jjilike
- 않아도a·na·doeven if not
Word for word: Sometimes heart not-like even-if
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 맘 means 'heart' and 같지 않아도 means 'even if not like'. Together it is an idiom for 'not as one wishes'. The individual words say nothing about things going wrong.
그대가 물들어 있어서Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): geu·dae·ga mul·deu·reo i·sseo·seo
Meaning: Because I'm all dyed with you
Words in this line- 그대가geu·dae·gayou (poetic)
- 물들어mul·deu·reodyed
- 있어서i·sseo·seobecause it is
Word for word: You dyed being, because
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 물들다 on its own means 'to be dyed', and 그대 is a poetic 'you'. Together they paint a person tinted through by someone else's presence. The ending 서 ('because') leaves the sentence hanging, like the start of a confession.
없이는 나 살 수 없어서Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): eop·ssi·neun na sal ssu eop·sseo·seo
Meaning: I can't live without you
Words in this line- 없이는eop·ssi·neunwithout
- 나naI
- 살sallive
- 수ssuway/ability
- 없어서eop·sseo·seobecause there isn't
Word for word: Without-being I live way not-exist, because
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 없이는 literally means 'without existing', and 수 없다 means 'there is no way', i.e. 'cannot'. Alone these sound like an inventory of absence, but together they say 'I can't go on without you'. The tail 서 again gives a reason and leaves the result unsaid.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “If You Ask Me What Love Is” — Roy Kim. Quoted for commentary and learning.
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Ask HyunwooSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가는 | ga·neun | going |
| 가사보다 | ga·sa·bo·da | than lyrics |
| 간직하고 | gan·ji·ka·go | keep and |
| 거라 | geo·ra | it is (thing) |
| 거야 | geo·ya | must be |
| 거예요 | geo·ye·yo | will be |
| 바라보며 | ba·ra·bo·myeo | looking at |
| 사랑인 | sa·rang·in | is love |
| 사랑일 | sa·rang·il | love is |
| 서로를 | seo·ro·reul | each other |
| 설렘보다 | seol·lem·bo·da | rather than thrill |
| 소중해 | so·jung·hae | cherish |
| 솔직해지고 | sol·ji·kae·ji·go | become honest and |
| 않고 | an·ko | without |
| 이해할 | i·hae·hal | to understand |
| 익숙함을 | ik·ssu·ka·meul | familiarity |
| 처음의 | cheo·eu·mui | of the first |
| 포기하지 | po·gi·ha·ji | give up |
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Questions about “If You Ask Me What Love Is”
What is “If You Ask Me What Love Is” by Roy Kim about?
This Roy Kim ballad is a quiet answer to an old question about what love really is.
What does “내게 사랑이 뭐냐고 물어본다면” mean in “If You Ask Me What Love Is”?
If you ask me what love is,. 뭐냐고 is 'what is it?' with -고, which turns the question into reported speech.
What does “때론 맘 같지 않아도” mean in “If You Ask Me What Love Is”?
Even when things sometimes don't go as I wish,. 맘 means 'heart' and 같지 않아도 means 'even if not like'.
How do you pronounce “그대가 물들어 있어서”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “geu·dae·ga mul·deu·reo i·sseo·seo”: that's how it's actually sung by Roy Kim, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “If You Ask Me What Love Is” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Hyunwoo goes through all 50 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
- Roy Kim
- Official video
- STONE MUSIC · 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.