Doctor! Doctor! — ZEROBASEONE: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync너 아니면 소용없어 don't needneo a·ni·myeon so·yong·eop·sseo don't needWithout you it's useless, I don't need anything elseListen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
“Doctor! Doctor!” by ZEROBASEONE is about a crush so overwhelming that it feels like a medical emergency. A fever, a racing pulse, clumsy blurting and lost judgment all point to love, and a coined word blending love with emergency, later love with eternity, names the condition. Only the loved one can cure it, so they keep calling the doctor and leaving urgent messages, desperate yet giddy, as if on top of the world.
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.
너 아니면 소용없어 don't needListen from this lineRomanization (as sung): neo a·ni·myeon so·yong·eop·sseo don't need
Meaning: Without you it's useless, I don't need anything else
Words in this line- 너neoyou
- 아니면a·ni·myeonif not
- 소용없어so·yong·eop·sseoit's useless
Word for word: You if-not, usefulness-absent, don't need
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 너 means 'you' and 아니면 means 'if it is not', so word by word it is 'you if not'. Together they mean 'unless it's you' or 'without you'. 소용없어 is 'there is no use', i.e. 'it's pointless'. Korean drops the subject, so the English has to fill it in.
확신하고 있어 병일 거야 분명Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): hwak·ssin·ha·go i·sseo byeong·il kkeo·ya bun·myeong
Meaning: I'm certain it must be an illness
Words in this line- 확신하고hwak·ssin·ha·gobeing sure
- 있어i·sseoam
- 병일byeong·ilis an illness
- 거야kkeo·yaprobably
- 분명bun·myeongsurely
Word for word: Being-certain am, illness will-be probably, clearly
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 확신하고 있어 is 'am being certain', which means 'I'm sure'. In 병일 거야, 병 is illness, 일 comes from 'to be', and 거야 adds 'probably'. Together it means 'it must be an illness'. The ending 거야 carries the guessing tone no single word has.
숨 쉬게 하는 건, oh, baby, 너뿐인걸Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): sum swi·ge ha·neun geon, oh, baby, neo·ppu·nin·geol
Meaning: You're the only reason I can breathe, baby
Words in this line- 숨sumbreath
- 쉬게swi·gemake breathe
- 하는ha·neunthat does
- 건,geon,thing that
- 너뿐인걸neo·ppu·nin·geolit's only you
Word for word: The thing that makes breathe, oh, baby, it's-only-you-after-all.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 숨 is 'breath' and 쉬게 하다 is 'make breathe,' but with 너뿐인걸 it means 'you are my reason to live.' The ending -ㄴ걸 adds a soft 'it's just so, you know' that no single word carries.
좀 이상해 왜 네 앞에선 이러는지?Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): jom i·sang·hae wae ne a·pe·seon i·reo·neun·ji?
Meaning: It's weird — why am I like this in front of you?
Words in this line- 좀joma bit
- 이상해i·sang·haestrange
- 왜waewhy
- 네neyour
- 앞에선a·pe·seonin front of
- 이러는지?i·reo·neun·ji?I act like this
Word for word: A bit strange, why your in-front-at I act-like-this-whether?
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 앞에선 is 'in front of' plus 는 stressing 'specifically in front of you.' 이러는지 is 'act like this' plus 'I wonder why,' a question to oneself. So it reads as bewilderment at one's own behavior.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “Doctor! Doctor!” — ZEROBASEONE. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Mini-lesson: fill in the missing word
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Ask TaejunSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가빠지는 | ga·ppa·ji·neun | getting rapid |
| 고쳐 | go·chyeo | fixing |
| 그래 | geu·rae | yeah |
| 기분 | gi·bun | feeling |
| 깊어지는 | gi·peo·ji·neun | deepening |
| 낫게 | nat·kke | to get well |
| 너만이 | neo·ma·ni | only you |
| 놓을 | no·eul | set right |
| 눈빛에 | nun·bi·che | in the gaze |
| 따윈 | tta·win | stuff like |
| 때문인 | ttae·mu·nin | because of |
| 마주치는 | ma·ju·chi·neun | meeting |
| 말곤 | mal·gon | except |
| 말을 | ma·reul | words |
| 매일 | mae·il | every day |
| 역시 | yeok·ssi | as expected |
| 열이 | yeo·ri | fever |
| 해줘 | hae·jwo | do for me |
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Questions about “Doctor! Doctor!”
What is “Doctor! Doctor!” by ZEROBASEONE about?
“Doctor! Doctor!” by ZEROBASEONE is about a crush so overwhelming that it feels like a medical emergency.
What does “너 아니면 소용없어 don't need” mean in “Doctor! Doctor!”?
Without you it's useless, I don't need anything else. 너 means 'you' and 아니면 means 'if it is not', so word by word it is 'you if not'.
What does “확신하고 있어 병일 거야 분명” mean in “Doctor! Doctor!”?
I'm certain it must be an illness. 확신하고 있어 is 'am being certain', which means 'I'm sure'.
How do you pronounce “숨 쉬게 하는 건, oh, baby, 너뿐인걸”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “sum swi·ge ha·neun geon, oh, baby, neo·ppu·nin·geol”: that's how it's actually sung by ZEROBASEONE, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “Doctor! Doctor!” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Taejun goes through all 47 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
- ZEROBASEONE
- Official video
- ZEROBASEONE · 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.