깨어 (Are You Alive) — tripleS: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync사실 난 행복하고 싶은 걸 누구보다 더sa·sil nan haeng·bo·ka·go si·peun geol nu·gu·bo·da deoTruth is, I want to be happy more than anyoneListen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
“깨어 (Are You Alive)” by tripleS follows someone chasing a glamorous dream from the ads, only to grow more out of breath as it slips further away. They hide their shabby side, see the same quiet sadness in someone else, and long to run where no one can find them. Then sunlight breaks the nightmare, and the happiness they wanted turns out to be right here. The title is a Korean word meaning “wake up.”
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.
사실 난 행복하고 싶은 걸 누구보다 더Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): sa·sil nan haeng·bo·ka·go si·peun geol nu·gu·bo·da deo
Meaning: Truth is, I want to be happy more than anyone
Words in this line- 사실sa·silactually
- 난nanI (topic)
- 행복하고haeng·bo·ka·gobe happy and
- 싶은si·peunwant to
- 걸geolyou know (confession)
- 누구보다nu·gu·bo·dathan anyone
- 더deomore
Word for word: Actually I be-happy want you-know, than anyone more
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 싶은 걸 combines 싶다 ('to want') with the ending -은 걸, which adds a tone of quiet confession, like 'but honestly, I do want it'. 누구보다 더 literally means 'than anyone, more', i.e. 'more than anybody'. Together the line sounds like a confession after all the glitter.
Ooh ah 울지 마 다 악몽일 뿐이야 내 세상은Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): Ooh ah ul·ji ma da ang·mong·il ppu·ni·ya nae se·sang·eun
Meaning: Ooh, ah, don't cry, my world is just a nightmare
Words in this line- 울지ul·jito cry
- 마madon't
- 다daall
- 악몽일ang·mong·ilnightmare
- 뿐이야ppu·ni·yais only
- 내naemy
- 세상은se·sang·eunworld (topic)
Word for word: Ooh, ah, cry don't, all nightmare only is, my world-topic
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 울지 마 literally 'cry don't', a soft casual command for 'don't cry'. 뿐이야 combines 뿐 ('only') and 이야 ('it is'), together meaning 'it's nothing more than'. 다 ('all') adds 'entirely'. 내 세상은 ('my world', topic-marked) comes last in Korean and must be reordered in English.
더 큰 꿈을 향해 달려가 좀 더 더 높이 Ooh woahListen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): deo keun kku·meul hyang·hae dal·lyeo·ga jom deo deo no·pi Ooh woah
Meaning: I run toward a bigger dream, higher and higher (Ooh, woah)
Words in this line- 더deomore
- 큰keunbig
- 꿈을kku·meuldream (object)
- 향해hyang·haetoward
- 달려가dal·lyeo·garun
- 좀joma bit
- 더deomore
- 더deomore
- 높이no·pihigh
Word for word: More big dream-object toward run, a-bit more more high
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 더 큰 is 'more big', i.e. 'bigger'. 향해 means 'toward' and 달려가 means 'run along toward'. 좀 더 더 is 'a bit more, more', and the repeated 더 builds the sense of 'higher and higher'. 높이 means 'high'.
내일 눈을 뜨면 모든 게 꿈에 닿기를 행복하고 예쁜 걸 누구보다도Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): nae·il nu·neul tteu·myeon mo·deun ge kku·me da·ki·reul haeng·bo·ka·go ye·ppeun geol nu·gu·bo·da·do
Meaning: May everything reach my dream when I open my eyes tomorrow (happy and beautiful, more than anyone's).
Words in this line- 내일nae·iltomorrow
- 눈을nu·neuleyes
- 뜨면tteu·myeonwhen open
- 모든mo·deunevery
- 게gething
- 꿈에kku·meto the dream
- 닿기를da·ki·reulmay it reach
- 행복하고haeng·bo·ka·gohappy and
- 예쁜ye·ppeunpretty
- 걸geolthing
- 누구보다도nu·gu·bo·da·domore than anyone
Word for word: Tomorrow eyes if open every thing to dream may-reach (happy and pretty thing more-than-anyone)
Why it doesn't translate word for word: On their own, 눈을 뜨다 means 'open the eyes', 꿈 means 'dream', and 닿다 means 'to touch'. With the wish ending -기를, the phrase is not a literal 'touching' but a hope that reality will become as lovely as a dream. 누구보다도 literally means 'even more than anyone', which in English is simply 'more than anyone else'. That is why the literal version sounds clumsy while the natural one sounds like a quiet hope.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “깨어 (Are You Alive)” — tripleS. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Mini-lesson: fill in the missing word
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Ask YoonaSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 같아 | ga·ta | seems |
| 광고 | gwang·go | advertisement |
| 그저 | geu·jeo | just |
| 근데 | geun·de | but |
| 깊숙이 | gip·ssu·gi | deeply |
| 깜빡이는 | kkam·ppa·gi·neun | flickering |
| 깨면 | kkae·myeon | if wake |
| 깨어나 | kkae·eo·na | wake up |
| 깨우던 | kkae·u·deon | that used to wake |
| 꿈에서 | kku·me·seo | from the dream |
| 꿈으로 | kku·meu·ro | into a dream |
| 꿈은 | kku·meun | the dream |
| 내색조차 | nae·saek·jjo·cha | even a sign |
| 때론 | ttae·ron | sometimes |
| 뛰어도 | ttwi·eo·do | even if I run |
| 멀어져 | meo·reo·jyeo | grows distant |
| 숨이 | su·mi | breath |
| 절망 | jeol·mang | despair |
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Questions about “깨어 (Are You Alive)”
What is “깨어 (Are You Alive)” by tripleS about?
“깨어 (Are You Alive)” by tripleS follows someone chasing a glamorous dream from the ads, only to grow more out of breath as it slips further away.
What does “사실 난 행복하고 싶은 걸 누구보다 더” mean in “깨어 (Are You Alive)”?
Truth is, I want to be happy more than anyone. 싶은 걸 combines 싶다 ('to want') with the ending -은 걸, which adds a tone of quiet confession, like 'but honestly, I do want it'.
What does “Ooh ah 울지 마 다 악몽일 뿐이야 내 세상은” mean in “깨어 (Are You Alive)”?
Ooh, ah, don't cry, my world is just a nightmare. 울지 마 literally 'cry don't', a soft casual command for 'don't cry'.
How do you pronounce “더 큰 꿈을 향해 달려가 좀 더 더 높이 Ooh woah”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “deo keun kku·meul hyang·hae dal·lyeo·ga jom deo deo no·pi Ooh woah”: that's how it's actually sung by tripleS, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “깨어 (Are You Alive)” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Yoona goes through all 49 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
- tripleS
- Official video
- tripleS official · 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.