I Like You — YUQI: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync넌 언제나 마음속에 무지개를 품고 있어neon eon·je·na ma·eum·so·ge mu·ji·gae·reul pum·kko i·sseoYou always keep a rainbow in your heart.Listen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
YUQI’s “I Like You” is a tender confession to someone full of doubts, told they are loved just as they are, flaws and moods included. Having seen them in candlelight, the singer notices someone who gazes at the sky, keeps a rainbow inside, and has stumbled many times, yet whose smile can soothe the world. It urges them to drop their hesitation, trust their own worth, and try love without certainty.
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 언제나 마음속에 무지개를 품고 있어Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): neon eon·je·na ma·eum·so·ge mu·ji·gae·reul pum·kko i·sseo
Meaning: You always keep a rainbow in your heart.
Words in this line- 넌neonyou
- 언제나eon·je·naalways
- 마음속에ma·eum·so·gein heart
- 무지개를mu·ji·gae·reulrainbow
- 품고pum·kkoholding
- 있어i·sseois
Word for word: You always heart-inside rainbow holding exist.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 마음속에 literally means 'inside the heart/mind', and 품고 있어 literally 'holding, exists' — together they naturally read as 'you keep ... in your heart', not the clunky literal parts.
더 이상 망설이지 말고 용기 내서 사랑해도 돼Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): deo i·sang mang·seo·ri·ji mal·go yong·gi nae·seo sa·rang·hae·do dwae
Meaning: Don't hesitate any longer, gather your courage, it's okay to love.
Words in this line- 더deomore
- 이상i·sangany longer
- 망설이지mang·seo·ri·jihesitate
- 말고mal·godon't
- 용기yong·gicourage
- 내서nae·seogathering
- 사랑해도sa·rang·hae·doeven to love
- 돼dwaeit's okay
Word for word: More not-beyond hesitating don't-do, courage taking-out, love-even becomes.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 용기 내서 literally 'taking courage out' is the Korean way of saying 'mustering courage'. 사랑해도 돼 literally 'even if you love, it becomes' carries the meaning 'it's okay to love' — the 돼 tail grants permission rather than describing a separate action.
혹시 또 다른 사람 때문에 마음 쓰고 있는 거야?Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): hok·ssi tto da·reun sa·ram ttae·mu·ne ma·eum sseu·go in·neun geo·ya?
Meaning: Are you worrying about someone else again?
Words in this line- 혹시hok·ssimaybe
- 또ttoagain
- 다른da·reunother
- 사람sa·ramperson
- 때문에ttae·mu·nebecause of
- 마음ma·eumheart/mind
- 쓰고sseu·gospending
- 있는in·neunthat is
- 거야?geo·ya?is it that
Word for word: Maybe again other person because-of heart spending-is-it?
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 마음 쓰다 literally means 'to spend heart/mind,' but it's a fixed expression for 'to worry about, to care about someone' — not a literal expenditure.
가끔은 투정도 부리고 화도 내는Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): ga·kkeu·meun tu·jeong·do bu·ri·go hwa·do nae·neun
Meaning: Sometimes whining, sometimes flaring up in anger.
Words in this line- 가끔은ga·kkeu·meunsometimes
- 투정도tu·jeong·dowhining too
- 부리고bu·ri·godoing
- 화도hwa·doanger too
- 내는nae·neunshowing
Word for word: sometimes whining too doing anger too showing
Why it doesn't translate word for word: The literal version is clumsy because 투정을 부리다 ('to throw a fit') and 화를 내다 ('to let out anger') are fixed verb phrases that don't translate word for word, and the particle 도 ('also/too') repeated on both nouns causes the doubled 'too.' The line lists moods: sometimes sulking, sometimes losing her temper.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “I Like You” — YUQI. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Mini-lesson: fill in the missing word
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Ask AriSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 겁이 | geo·bi | fear |
| 누구의 | nu·gu·ui | whose |
| 동화 | dong·hwa | fairy tale |
| 많고 | man·ko | a lot |
| 많은 | ma·neun | many |
| 모든 | mo·deun | every |
| 모습을 | mo·seu·beul | appearance |
| 모습이 | mo·seu·bi | way |
| 믿는 | min·neun | believing |
| 불완전한 | bu·rwan·jeon·han | imperfect |
| 사람도 | sa·ram·do | person |
| 세상을 | se·sang·eul | world |
| 세상이 | se·sang·i | world |
| 순수하게 | sun·su·ha·ge | purely |
| 아니고 | a·ni·go | not being |
| 아니야 | a·ni·ya | is not |
| 용감하고 | yong·gam·ha·go | brave |
| 운명을 | un·myeong·eul | fate |
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Questions about “I Like You”
What is “I Like You” by YUQI about?
YUQI’s “I Like You” is a tender confession to someone full of doubts, told they are loved just as they are, flaws and moods included.
What does “넌 언제나 마음속에 무지개를 품고 있어” mean in “I Like You”?
You always keep a rainbow in your heart. 마음속에 literally means 'inside the heart/mind', and 품고 있어 literally 'holding, exists' — together they naturally read as 'you keep ...
What does “더 이상 망설이지 말고 용기 내서 사랑해도 돼” mean in “I Like You”?
Don't hesitate any longer, gather your courage, it's okay to love. 용기 내서 literally 'taking courage out' is the Korean way of saying 'mustering courage'.
How do you pronounce “혹시 또 다른 사람 때문에 마음 쓰고 있는 거야?”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “hok·ssi tto da·reun sa·ram ttae·mu·ne ma·eum sseu·go in·neun geo·ya?”: that's how it's actually sung by YUQI, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “I Like You” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Ari goes through all 51 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
- YUQI
- Official video
- i-dle (아이들) · 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.