TWICE - What is Love Lyrics (Hangul / Romanized / English Translation) & Vocabulary Notes

TWICE - What is Love

🎵 Album: What is Love? - EP | 📅 Release: 2018-04-09

🇰🇷 Hangul 🗣️ Romanization 💬 English Translation 📚 Vocab Notes

🎬 Official Music Video / Audio Player — Press play to listen while learning the lyrics below!

About the Song

"What is Love?" is an iconic pop anthem by TWICE that captures the innocent, fluttery curiosity of youth. Written by J.Y. Park, the song features bright acoustic textures fused with an energetic uptempo dance rhythm. Lyrically, the members daydream about the magic of true love—wondering whether it truly feels like flying in the sky or tasting sweet candy, as described in their favorite romantic movies and novels.

[Verse 1]

매일같이 영화 속에서나

maeilgati yeonghwa sogeseona

Every single day, only in movies

책 속에서나 드라마 속에서

chaek sogeseona deulama sogeseo

Or in books, or in dramas

사랑을 느껴

sarangeul neukkyeo

I feel what love is

Um 사랑을 배워

Um sarangeul baewoe

Um, I learn what love is

내 일처럼 자꾸 가슴이 뛰어

nae ilcheoreom jakku gaseumi ttwieo

My heart keeps racing as if it were happening to me

두근두근거려 설레임에 부풀어 올라

dugeundugeungeoryeo seolleime bupureo olla

It flutters pit-a-pat, swelling up with butterflies

Um 궁금해서 미칠 것만 같아

Um gunggeumhaeseo michil geonman gata

Um, I'm so curious I feel like I might go crazy

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 매일같이 (Mae-il-ga-ti): Every single day / Just like every day — Combining '매일' (every day) and '-같이' (like/as), emphasizing daily routine.
• * 두근두근거리다 (Du-geun-du-geun-geo-ri-da): To beat fast / To throb (onomatopoeia) — Represents the physical sensation of a pounding heart from excitement or nervousness.
• * 설레임 / 설렘 (Seol-lem): Flutter / Heart-fluttering excitement — The blissful butterflies one feels when anticipating romantic moments.
• * 미칠 것 같다 (Mi-chil geot gat-da): To feel like going crazy — A very common colloquial expression expressing overwhelming emotion or curiosity.

[Pre-Chorus 1]

Ooh 언젠간 내게도

Ooh eonjengan naegedo

Ooh, will something like this

이런 일이 실제로 일어날까

ireon iri siljero ireonalkka

Actually happen to me someday?

그게 언제쯤일까? 어떤 사람일까?

geuge eonjejjeumilkka? eotteon saramilkka?

When might that be? What kind of person will it be?

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 언젠간 (Eon-jen-gan): Someday / One day — Contraction of '언젠가는', expressing a hopeful future possibility.
• * 실제로 (Sil-je-ro): In reality / Actually — Contrasts fictional stories in dramas with real life.
• * 언제쯤 (Eon-je-jjeum): Around when / Roughly what time — The suffix '-쯤' adds the meaning of 'approximately'.

[Chorus]

I wanna know 사탕처럼 달콤하다는데

I wanna know satangcheoreom dalkomhadaneunde

I wanna know, they say it's sweet like candy

I wanna know 하늘을 나는 것 같다는데

I wanna know haneureul naneun geot gatdaneunde

I wanna know, they say it feels like flying through the sky

I wanna know know know know

What is love?

사랑이 어떤 느낌인지

sarangi eotteon neukkiminji

What love really feels like

I wanna know 하루 종일 웃고 있다는데

I wanna know haru jongil utgo itdaneunde

I wanna know, they say you smile all day long

I wanna know 세상이 다 아름답다는데

I wanna know sesangi da areumdapdaneunde

I wanna know, they say the whole world looks beautiful

I wanna know know know know

What is love?

언젠간 나에게도 사랑이 올까

eonjengan naegedo sarangi olkka

Will love come to me someday too?

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 사탕처럼 (Sa-tang-cheo-reom): Like candy — '사탕' means candy, and '-처럼' means 'like' or 'as'.
• * 달콤하다는데 (-daneunde): They say it is sweet — The grammar pattern '-다는데' is an indirect quotation marker meaning 'I heard that / they say that...'.
• * 하루 종일 (Ha-ru jong-il): All day long / The entire day.
• * 아름답다 (A-reum-dap-da): To be beautiful / Lovely.

[Verse 2]

지금 이런 상상만으로도

jigeum ireon sangsangmaneurodo

Even just with this imagination right now

떠올려만 봐도

tteoollyeoman bwado

Even just picturing it in my mind

가슴이 터질 것 같은데

gaseumi teojil geot gateunde

My chest feels like it could burst

Um 이렇게 좋은데

Um ireoke joeunde

Um, when it feels this wonderful

만일 언젠가 진짜로 내게

manil eonjenga jinjjaro naege

If someday for real to me

사랑이 올 때 난 울어버릴지도 몰라

sarangi ol ttae nan ureobeoriljido molla

When love arrives, I might just burst into tears

Um 정말 궁금해 미칠 것만 같아

Um jeongmal gunggeumhae michil geonman gata

Um, I'm truly so curious I feel like I might go crazy

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 상상 (Sang-sang): Imagination / Daydreaming.
• * 떠올리다 (Tteo-ol-li-da): To recall / To bring to mind. Combined with '-만 봐도' (even just looking/doing), meaning 'just picturing it'.
• * 터질 것 같다 (Teo-jil geot gat-da): Feels like it's about to burst/explode — Metaphor for heart pounding uncontrollably.
• * 울어버릴지도 몰라 (U-reo-beo-ril-ji-do mol-la): I might end up crying — '-아/어 버리다' indicates completing an action thoroughly, and '-지도 모르다' expresses uncertainty ('might / may').

[Pre-Chorus 2]

Ooh 언젠간 내게도

Ooh eonjengan naegedo

Ooh, will something like this

이런 일이 실제로 일어날까

ireon iri siljero ireonalkka

Actually happen to me someday?

그게 언제쯤일까? 어떤 사람일까?

geuge eonjejjeumilkka? eotteon saramilkka?

When might that be? What kind of person will it be?

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 일어날까 (I-reo-nal-kka): Will it happen? — From '일어나다' (to occur, to happen) + '-ㄹ까' (questioning ending).
• * 어떤 사람 (Eo-tteon sa-ram): What kind of person — '어떤' asks about qualities, personality, or traits.

[Chorus]

I wanna know 사탕처럼 달콤하다는데

I wanna know satangcheoreom dalkomhadaneunde

I wanna know, they say it's sweet like candy

I wanna know 하늘을 나는 것 같다는데

I wanna know haneureul naneun geot gatdaneunde

I wanna know, they say it feels like flying through the sky

I wanna know know know know

What is love?

사랑이 어떤 느낌인지

sarangi eotteon neukkiminji

What love really feels like

I wanna know 하루 종일 웃고 있다는데

I wanna know haru jongil utgo itdaneunde

I wanna know, they say you smile all day long

I wanna know 세상이 다 아름답다는데

I wanna know sesangi da areumdapdaneunde

I wanna know, they say the whole world looks beautiful

I wanna know know know know

What is love?

언젠간 나에게도 사랑이 올까

eonjengan naegedo sarangi olkka

Will love come to me someday too?

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 느낌 (Neuk-kkim): Feeling / Impression / Vibe.
• * 웃고 있다 (Ut-go it-da): To be smiling / laughing — '-고 있다' is the present progressive tense marker.

[Bridge / Rap]

지금 세상 어느 곳에 살고 있는지

jigeum sesang eoneu gose salgo inneunji

Where in this world you are living right now

도대체 언제쯤 나와 만나게 될는지

dodaeche eonjejjeum nawa mannage doelneunji

Just when on earth will we end up meeting?

언제 어떻게 우리의 인연은

eonje eotteoke uriui inyeoneun

When and how our fateful bond

시작될는지 모르지만 느낌이 어쩐지

sijakdoelneunji moreujiman neukkimi eojjeonji

Will begin, I don't know, but somehow I feel

진짜 좋을 것 같아 왠지

jinjja joeul geot gata waenji

It's going to be truly wonderful, somehow

영화 드라마보다도 더 멋진

yeonghwa deulamabodado deo meotjin

Even more spectacular than movies and dramas

사랑이 올 거야 내 예감 언제나 맞지

sarangi ol geoya nae yegam eonjena matji

A love like that will come, my gut feeling is always right

어서 나타나봐

eoseo natanabwa

Hurry up and show yourself

나는 다 준비가 됐지 ready

naneun da junbiga dwaetji ready

I'm all prepared and set, ready

(어디 있을까) 찾아낼 거야

(eodi isseulkka) chajanael geoya

(Where could you be?) I will find you

(어디 있을까) 보고 싶어 죽겠어

(eodi isseulkka) bogo sipeo jukgesseo

(Where could you be?) I'm dying to meet you

더 이상 참을 수 없을 것만 같아

deo isang chameul su eopseul geonman gata

I don't think I can hold it in any longer

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 도대체 (Do-dae-che): On earth / In the world / At all — Used for emphasis in questions filled with frustration or curiosity.
• * 인연 (In-yeon): Fated bond / Destiny / Serendipity — A deeply poetic Korean concept referring to the predestined ties that connect people throughout life.
• * 예감 (Ye-gam): Premonition / Hunch / Gut feeling.
• * 보고 싶어 죽겠어 (~죽겠다) (-juk-get-da): Dying to see you — '~죽겠다' is a popular colloquial hyperbole meaning 'I'm dying of [verb/adjective]'.

[Chorus]

사탕처럼 달콤하다는데

satangcheoreom dalkomhadaneunde

They say it's sweet like candy

하늘을 나는 것 같다는데

haneureul naneun geot gatdaneunde

They say it feels like flying through the sky

I wanna know know know know

What is love?

사랑이 어떤 느낌인지

sarangi eotteon neukkiminji

What love really feels like

하루 종일 웃고 있다는데

haru jongil utgo itdaneunde

They say you smile all day long

세상이 다 아름답다는데

sesangi da areumdapdaneunde

They say the whole world looks beautiful

I wanna know know know know

What is love?

언젠간 나에게도 사랑이 올까

eonjengan naegedo sarangi olkka

Will love come to me someday too?

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * 하늘을 날다 (Ha-neu-reul nal-da): To fly in the sky — Idiomatic metaphor for feeling overjoyed and floating on cloud nine.
• * 올까 (Ol-kka): Will it come? — '오다' (to come) + '-ㄹ까' (wondering / hopeful question marker).

[Outro]

I wanna know

I wanna know

I wanna know know know know

What is love?

I wanna know I wanna know

I wanna know

I wanna know

I wanna know know know know

What is love?

I wanna know

📚 Section Vocabulary & Notes:

• * I wanna know: The central motif of the track, encapsulating TWICE's youthful and infectious eagerness to experience real affection firsthand.

✨

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