Learning Korean through music: 미안해 널 미워해 (sorry, I hate you) by 자우림

A post from another site of mine that I originally wrote on 2004.01.03. Remember, the translation is done as literally as possible, in order to help the student.



Original post from 2004:

This song means, "I'm sorry, I hate you." It's one of their more famous ones and is song #2 on the pink album.

This song starts out a bit quiet with a scratchy sound coming from somewhere.

Song lyrics

2)기억나지 않아, 어젯밤 꿈조차, 지우려고 했던게 아닌데
잠들지 않도록 널 부르며 눈감았지
사무쳐 그립지는 않았지
미안해 널 미워해, 이대로 인걸, 이해해 넌 그렇게 그대로인 걸
꿈꾸지 않기를 눈감으며 기도했지 시무쳐, 그립지는 않았지
미안해...
그래 나, 널 지우려고해, 널 보내려고 해, 이젠 지쳤어
미안해...
I don't remember, not even the dream I had last night
It's not like I was trying to erase it though
I closed my eyes as I called you, trying not to sleep
I'm exhausted, I didn't even miss you
I'm sorry, I hate you, this way you are. Understand, that's what you're like.
I prayed not to dream as I closed my eyes
I'm exhausted, I didn't even miss you
That's right, I try to erase you, I try to get rid of you, I'm so exhausted.
I'm sorry, I hate you...

기억-Memory
나다-Come out. 기억(이) 나다= To remember
어제-Yesterday
밤-Night. Together with 어제 we add ㅅ and it becomes 어젯밤.
꿈-Dream. 꾸다 or 꿈꾸다 means to dream. 꿈꾸다 literally means, to dream a dream, but the doubling of the noun and verb is just fine.
조차-Even.
지우다-Erase.
잠(들다) (To) sleep
눈(감다)- (Close) eyes
그립다-Likeable, fond, memorable
밉다-Hateful. 미워하다 means to hate.
이해하다-Understand.
대로-As, way. 그대로 means in that way, 생각하는 대로 means 'as one thinks', etc.
보내다-Send, send off, see off, get rid of.

꿈. This is actually just the noun form of the verb 꾸다, to dream. Any verb can be changed to a noun with the addition of ㅁ on the bottom.
잊어버리다-to forget, 잊어버림 - forgetting.
가다 - go, 감 - going.
희망하다 - to hope, 희망함 - hoping. Note that this is a gerund, so 희망함 doesn't substitute for the noun 희망, hope.
밉 다 - This by itself is an adjective meaning hateful, so 미운 사람 would mean hateful person. By changing it to 미워 and adding 하다 though, it becomes 'to hate'. This can be done with other adjectives.
무섭다-scary. 무서운 괴물-scary monster. 무서워 하다-to be scared of. 나는 괴물을 무서워 해-I'm scared of monsters.
An easier example that most people should know already is 좋다-likeable/good, which becomes 좋아 하다, to like. This is the same grammatical form.
기억 나지 않아- This is pronounced as 기엉 나지 아나
지우려고 하다- Try to erase. The -려고 하다 is a way of saying try. The 고 can also be omitted if one wishes.
난 회사에 갔다-I went to work. 난 회사에 가려고 했는데...I tried to go to work, but...
전화하려 했어. (I) tried to call.
한국어를 배우려고 했는데 너무 어려워서 포기했다. I tried to learn Korean but it was too difficult and I gave up.