Stray Kids

CINEMA — Stray Kids: meaning, key lines and pronunciation

What does “CINEMA” by Stray Kids mean?

In “CINEMA,” Stray Kids picture a bond as a film, with a dark room, a rising curtain and closing credits holding a story two people share. Loneliness gives way to company, film tape keeps their moments from fading, and a cheering crowd hears them say they need each other.

First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync넌 다가와 내 옆에 앉았고 그 순간neon da·ga·wa nae yeo·pe an·jat·kko geu sun·ganYou came and sat next to me, and in that momentPlay the first verse with translationNo sign-up

What the song is about

Both names end up on the credits, and they promise to wait for anyone who has lost their way at night.

Updated:

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 다가와 내 옆에 앉았고 그 순간
Listen from this line

Romanization (as sung): neon da·ga·wa nae yeo·pe an·jat·kko geu sun·gan

Meaning: You came and sat next to me, and in that moment

Words in this line
  • 넌neonyou
  • 다가와da·ga·waapproaching
  • 내naemy
  • 옆에yeo·penext to
  • 앉았고an·jat·kkosat and
  • 그geuthat
  • 순간sun·ganmoment

Word for word: You approaching my side-at sat-and, that instant

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 다가와 alone means approaching and 앉았고 means sat and. Korean chains actions with verb endings, where English uses separate verbs. 그 순간, literally that instant, marks a turning point.

암전과 함께 문이 열렸네
Listen from this line

Romanization (as sung): am·jeon·gwa ham·kke mu·ni yeol·lyeon·ne

Meaning: With the blackout, the door opened

Words in this line
  • 암전과am·jeon·gwablackout and
  • 함께ham·kketogether
  • 문이mu·nidoor
  • 열렸네yeol·lyeon·neopened

Word for word: Blackout-with together door opened-indeed

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 암전 is a stage blackout, 함께 means together, and 열렸네 means opened. The ending -네 adds a note of discovery, like look, it opened. This makes the opening feel like a film starting.

스쳐가는 운명 사이로 오늘의 막이 열려
Listen from this line

Romanization (as sung): seu·cheo·ga·neu nun·myeong sa·i·ro o·neu·re ma·gi yeol·lyeo

Meaning: Through passing fate, today's curtain rises

Words in this line
  • 스쳐가는seu·cheo·ga·neupassing by
  • 운명nun·myeongfate
  • 사이로sa·i·rothrough
  • 오늘의o·neu·retoday's
  • 막이ma·gicurtain
  • 열려yeol·lyeoopens

Word for word: Brushing-past fate between-through today's curtain opens

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 스쳐가는 means brushing past, 운명 means fate, and 막이 열려 means the curtain opens. Together they say passing encounters become the start of a big story. The theatre image turns life into a play.

언제까지라도 난
Listen to the first verse — free

Romanization (as sung): eon·je·kka·ji·ra·do nan

Meaning: No matter how long it takes, I…

Words in this line
  • 언제까지라도eon·je·kka·ji·ra·dono matter how long
  • 난nanI (as for me)

Word for word: Even until whenever, I.

Why it doesn't translate word for word: 언제 alone means 'when', 까지 means 'until', and 라도 means 'even if'. Stacked together, 언제까지라도 becomes the fixed sense 'no matter how long it takes'. 난 is short for 나는, 'as for me', and the unfinished sentence leaves a feeling of a promise hanging.

28 more lines translated

1 tap · free

Lyrics © their rights holders. “CINEMA” — Stray Kids. Quoted for commentary and learning.

Song facts

Lines
32
Key lines explained
4
Words explained
13
Length
3:59

Mini-lesson: fill in the missing word

A line from the song with one word missing: listen, then pick the right word. Hyunwoo checks your answer and saves the new words to your notebook.

Try the lesson

Teaching Korean? Use this song in class →

Ask Hyunwoo 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 Hyunwoo

Song vocabulary

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

WordSounds likeMeaning
간직할게gan·ji·kal·kkeI'll keep
곁에gyeo·tebeside
담겨진dam·gyeo·jincaptured
담을da·meulto capture
때까지ttae·kka·jiuntil
명장면을myeong·jang·myeo·neulbest scene
모습mo·seupappearance
바래지ba·rae·jifade
불빛bul·ppitlight
아무것도a·mu·geot·ttonothing
없을eop·sseulnot being
오래도록o·rae·do·rokfor long
희미한hui·mi·hanfaint

Keep these 13 words

Make a free account and the words from “CINEMA” go to your study notebook with spaced review, so they come back right before you forget them.

Create a free account

With Google, Apple or email · 10 seconds

Questions about “CINEMA”

What is “CINEMA” by Stray Kids about?

In “CINEMA,” Stray Kids picture a bond as a film, with a dark room, a rising curtain and closing credits holding a story two people share. Loneliness gives way to company, film tape keeps their moments from fading, and a cheering crowd hears them say they need each other. Both names end up on the credits, and they promise to wait for anyone who has lost their way at night.

What does “넌 다가와 내 옆에 앉았고 그 순간” mean in “CINEMA”?

In “CINEMA” by Stray Kids, “넌 다가와 내 옆에 앉았고 그 순간” means: You came and sat next to me, and in that moment. 다가와 alone means approaching and 앉았고 means sat and. Korean chains actions with verb endings, where English uses separate verbs. 그 순간, literally that instant, marks a turning point.

What does “암전과 함께 문이 열렸네” mean in “CINEMA”?

In “CINEMA” by Stray Kids, “암전과 함께 문이 열렸네” means: With the blackout, the door opened. 암전 is a stage blackout, 함께 means together, and 열렸네 means opened. The ending -네 adds a note of discovery, like look, it opened. This makes the opening feel like a film starting.

How do you pronounce “스쳐가는 운명 사이로 오늘의 막이 열려”?

“스쳐가는 운명 사이로 오늘의 막이 열려” from “CINEMA” by Stray Kids is romanized as “seucheoganeu nunmyeong sairo oneure magi yeollyeo”: that is how it is actually sung, sound changes included, not the textbook spelling.

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

This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Hyunwoo goes through all 32 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 ↗

How we make these breakdowns

theIDOL builds every breakdown with AI assistance and automated checks, and publishes a page only after it passes them. An AI model writes the meaning of each line and the word-by-word glosses from the song's timed lyrics. The pronunciation comes from our own rule-based Korean transcriber, which spells how the words sound when sung, sound changes included, not a letter-by-letter romanization. Pages that fail the audio-sync or translation checks are not published, and we quote only a few key lines. If you spot a mistake, write to support@theidol.ai and we will fix it.

Credits and sources

Artist
Stray Kids
Official video
Stray Kids · 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.

Rights holder? Request removal · Terms

Want another Stray Kids song? Order it — ready in about 5 minutes

What every line means, word by word, and how it’s really sung — for any K-pop song. Type the artist and the song:

Free account · usually ready in about 5 minutes

Coming soon

Breakdowns of the next K-pop releases, ready 15 minutes after the MV:

New this week

All songs →

Listen to the first verse — freeNo sign-up