Table
of Contents
🎶 AKMU - “Nakka (with IU)”: Introduction
🎯 Key Takeaways
🎶 AKMU - “Nakka (with IU)”: Additional Information
🎶 Introduction to AKMU & IU
🎶 AKMU - “NAKKA (WITH IU)”: Introduction
Lyrics Video
Lyrics Summary
“NAKKA” (낙하, meaning “fall” or “freefall”) is a metaphorical anthem about unwavering trust, loyalty, and the emotional leap of faith that love requires. The song begins with a calm reassurance—words once spoken are now being fulfilled. The narrator reminds their partner that no matter how difficult or painful things become, they won’t be left alone. The imagery of standing before a cliff, of confronting a reality harsher than expected, captures the intensity of inner fear and hesitation.
However, the refrain offers a powerful contrast: if you take that leap with trust—eyes closed, hands held—you might feel like you're soaring through the sky, even beyond what you imagined. It’s not about avoiding fear or pain but about choosing courage together.
As the song progresses, the emotional stakes rise. The verses describe apocalyptic imagery—devastation, fire, destruction—yet the promise remains. Even if the world turns to ashes, the narrator insists they will stay. The repeated lines urging “close your eyes and fall” and “just jump on three” symbolize the process of overcoming fear through trust and shared resolve.
The bridge briefly breaks into English—“show how we love”—shifting the focus outward. It’s no longer just a private pact but a public declaration: no matter what others think or how much they hope to see them fall, nothing will break them.
In essence, “NAKKA” is an emotional crescendo about choosing someone completely and holding on through freefall—not because you won’t fall, but because you’ll fall together.
A Practical Learning Guide
- The lyrics of “낙하” are written in casual spoken Korean, filled with repetitions and emotive
phrasing. The tone resembles a heartfelt conversation or a desperate plea to
someone close.
- Commonly used contracted forms appear throughout,
such as:
• “난 (나는)”
• “널 (너를)”
These contractions are everywhere in Korean conversation and lyrics, so practice both full and contracted forms.
- Idiomatic and culturally nuanced expressions to know:
• “눈 딱 감고” – “just go for it” / “brace
yourself” (lit. “close your eyes tight”)
• “셋 하면 뛰어” – “Jump on three” (a common phrase in
Korean team play or group action)
• “초토화된 곳” – “a scorched ruin” (used metaphorically
here)
• “불구덩이” – “pit of fire” (symbolizing danger or
hardship)
- Key grammatical patterns include:
• Future conditional: “~면 느낄 수 있을 거야”
• Quotation emphasis: “말했잖아” (used to remind someone of
a prior promise—culturally significant in Korean communication)
• Nominalized phrases: “내버려두지 않을 거라고” (noun form with
reported speech)
- You can learn how emotive repetition works in
Korean music:
• “눈 딱 감고 낙하 하” and “믿어 날” are repeated like mantras, building emotional intensity—this
is common in Korean lyrics as a way to emphasize inner struggle and resolve.
- The line “보여주자 웃을
준비를 끝낸 그들에게” gives a cultural glimpse into how
Koreans deal with judgmental eyes or criticism—the “그들”
often refers to unseen societal pressure or observers.
- The vocabulary is vivid but accessible, making it a
great resource to explore:
• metaphorical language,
• trust-based expressions,
• and emotionally driven grammar structures in Korean.
🎯 Key
Takeaways
1. "말했잖아 / 말하다"
- "말하다" means
"to speak" or "to say."
- "말했잖아" is
the past informal form with the emphatic ending "-잖아" meaning "I told you" or "I did say."
• “말하다” → “말했다” (past tense) → “말했잖아”
📌 Example Usage
"말했잖아, 언젠가 이런
날이 온다고."
"I told you, someday this kind of day
would come."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"얘기했잖아" –
"I already talked about it"
📌 Example Usage
"그 얘기했잖아, 기억
안 나?"
"I already talked about that, don’t you
remember?"
2. "날이 / 날에"
- "날" means
"day."
- "날이" is
"날" + subject marker "-이" (as in "the day is…").
- "날에" is
"날" + location/time particle "-에" meaning "on the day."
📌 Example Usage
"날이 밝으면
다시 시작해."
"When the day breaks, we’ll start
again."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"하루가" –
"a day (subject)"
📌 Example Usage
"하루가 어떻게
지나갔는지 모르겠다."
"I don’t know how the day passed."
3. "내버려두지 않을 거라고 / 내버려두지 않다 / 내버려두다"
- "내버려두다"
means "to leave someone alone" or "to let be."
- "내버려두지 않다"
is the negation: "not to leave (someone) alone."
- "내버려두지 않을 거라고"
is a quoted future negative statement: "that I won’t leave you
alone."
• “내버려두지
않다” + attributive “-ㄹ” (future tense)
+ “것 (thing)” + “-이라고” (quoted)
→ “내버려 두지 않을 것이라고” → “내버려두지 않을 거라고” (contraction)
📌 Example Usage
"널 내버려두지
않을 거라고 말했잖아."
"I told you I wouldn’t leave you
alone."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"버리지 않다" –
"to not abandon"
📌 Example Usage
"난 절대 널 버리지
않을게."
"I will never abandon you."
4. "죄다"
- "죄다" is a
colloquial expression meaning "all" or "entirely."
📌 Example Usage
"여긴 죄다 낭떠러지야."
"This whole place is full of cliffs."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"모두" –
"all, everyone"
📌 Example Usage
"모두 떠나버렸어."
"Everyone left."
5. "낭떠러지야"
- "낭떠러지"
means "cliff."
- "낭떠러지야" is
the informal declarative form: "it's a cliff."
📌 Example Usage
"앞은 낭떠러지야, 조심해!"
"There’s a cliff ahead, be careful!"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"절벽이야" –
"it’s a precipice"
📌 Example Usage
"여긴 절벽이야, 내려갈 수 없어."
"This is a cliff, we can’t go down."
6. "예상했던 것보다 / 예상하다"
- "예상하다"
means "to expect" or "to anticipate."
- “예상했다”: past tense
- “예상했다” + attributive “-던” (past tense) + “것 (thing)” + particle “-보다 (compared to~)”
- "예상했던 것보다"
means "more than I expected" or "than I had anticipated."
📌 Example Usage
"예상했던 것보다 더
힘들었어."
"It was harder than I expected."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"생각보다" –
"than (I) thought"
📌 Example Usage
"생각보다 일이
많았어."
"There was more work than I thought."
7. "아플지도 모르지만 / 아플지도 모르다"
- "아프다" means
"to hurt" or "to be painful."
- "아플지도 모르다"
means "might hurt" or "could be painful."
- "아플지도 모르지만"
means "it might hurt, but…"
📌 Example Usage
"아플지도 모르지만, 참아야
해."
"It might hurt, but you have to endure
it."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"괴로울 수도 있다" –
"might be painful emotionally"
📌 Example Usage
"그 선택은 괴로울
수도 있다."
"That decision might be painful."
8. "손을 잡으면 / 손을 잡다"
- "손" means
"hand."
- “-을”: object particle
- "잡다" means
"to hold or grab."
- "손을 잡다"
means "to hold hands."
- "잡으면" is
conditional: "if (you) hold (my) hand."
📌 Example Usage
"손을 잡으면 하늘을
나는 기분일 거야."
"If you hold my hand, it’ll feel like
flying."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"손을 맞잡다" –
"to hold each other's hands"
📌 Example Usage
"우린 마지막까지 손을
맞잡고 있었다."
"We held each other’s hands until the
end."
9. "하늘을 나는 정도 / 하늘을 날다"
- "하늘" means
"sky."
- “-을”: object particle
- "날다" means
"to fly."
- "하늘을 날다"
means "to fly in the sky."
- “하늘을 나는”: “하늘을
날다” + attributive “-는” (present tense)
- "정도" means
"level" or "extent."
📌 Example Usage
"그 감정은 하늘을
나는 정도였어."
"The feeling was like flying in the
sky."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"구름 위를 걷는 듯하다" –
"to feel like walking on clouds"
📌 Example Usage
"행복해서 구름
위를 걷는 듯했어."
"I felt like walking on clouds from
happiness."
10. "느낄 수 있을 거야 / 느낄 수 있다"
- "느끼다" means
"to feel."
- "느낄 수 있다"
means "can feel."
- "느낄 수 있을 거야"
is the future assumption: "you’ll be able to feel."
• “느낄
수 있다” + attributive “-ㄹ” (future
tense) + “것 (thing)” + sentence ending “-이야” (informal, colloquial)
✂️ “느낄 수 있을
것이야” → “느낄 수 있을 거야” (contraction)
📌 Example Usage
"손을 잡으면 느낄
수 있을 거야."
"If you hold my hand, you’ll feel
it."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"체감할 수 있다" –
"can sense it directly"
📌 Example Usage
"그 차이는 직접 체감할
수 있다."
"You can directly sense the
difference."
11. "눈 딱 감고 / 눈을 감다"
- "눈" means
"eye."
- “-을”: object particle
- “딱”: adverb, in a manner that is very decisive or resolute, cutting
things off firmly without hesitation.
- "감다" means
"to close."
- "눈을 감다"
means "to close one’s eyes."
- “-고 (and)”: connective
ending
- "눈 딱 감고" is
an idiomatic phrase meaning "just go for it / brace yourself."
📌 Example Usage
"눈 딱 감고 뛰어내렸어."
"I just closed my eyes and jumped."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"용기 내서 하다" –
"to do something courageously"
📌 Example Usage
"용기 내서 고백했어."
"I gathered my courage and
confessed."
12. "낙하"
- "낙하" means
"fall" or "drop." It typically refers to a vertical
descent, often used in contexts like "free fall" or "dropping
down."
📌 Example Usage
"이건 단순한 점프가 아니라 낙하야."
"This isn’t just a jump—it's a fall."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"추락" –
"crash, fall (hard)"
📌 Example Usage
"비행기가 갑자기 추락했다."
"The plane suddenly crashed."
13. "초토화된 곳이든 / 초토화되다"
- "초토화되다"
means "to be scorched" or "to be devastated," often by war
or disaster.
- "초토화된" is
the past attributive form: "devastated."
- “곳”: place
- “-(이)든”: an auxiliary particle used to list two or more options where it
makes no difference which one is chosen.
- "곳이든" means
"wherever the place may be."
📌 Example Usage
"초토화된 곳이든 함께
가겠어."
"I’ll go with you even if it’s a
scorched land."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"폐허가 된 장소" –
"a ruined place"
📌 Example Usage
"폐허가 된 장소에도 희망은 있었다."
"Even in a ruined place, there was
hope."
14. "불구덩이든"
- "불구덩이"
means "pit of fire" or "flaming pit."
- "-(이)든" is a conditional particle meaning "even if it is."
📌 Example Usage
"불구덩이든 함께
들어갈게."
"I’ll go in with you even if it’s a pit of
fire."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"지옥불이든" –
"even if it’s hellfire"
📌 Example Usage
"지옥불이든 괜찮아, 네가 있다면."
"Even if it’s hellfire, it’s okay if
you’re there."
15. "떠나지 않겠다고 / 떠나지 않다 / 떠나다"
- "떠나다" means
"to leave."
- "떠나지 않다"
means "to not leave."
- "떠나지 않겠다고"
is a quoted future intention: "saying I won’t leave."
• “떠나지 않다” → “떠나지 않겠다” (future tense) → “떠나지 않겠다고”
📌
Example Usage
"떠나지 않겠다고 약속했잖아."
"You promised you wouldn’t leave."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"곁에 있겠다고 하다" –
"to say one will stay"
📌 Example Usage
"곁에 있겠다고 맹세했다."
"I vowed to stay by your side."
16. "눈을 본다면 / 눈을 보다"
- "눈을 보다"
means "to look into someone’s eyes."
- “눈을 본다”: present
tense
- "눈을
본다면" is the conditional: "if I see your eyes (If you
see my eyes)."
📌 Example Usage
"눈을 본다면 마음을
알 수 있어."
"If I look into your eyes, I can
understand your heart."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"마주보다" –
"to face and look at each other"
📌 Example Usage
"우리는 아무 말 없이 마주보았다."
"We just looked at each other in
silence."
17. "기분을 느끼다"
- "기분" means
"feeling" or "mood."
- “-을”: object particle
- "느끼다" means
"to feel."
- "기분을 느끼다"
means "to feel an emotion or atmosphere."
📌 Example Usage
"그 말에 따뜻한 기분을
느꼈어."
"I felt warm hearing those words."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"감정을 느끼다" –
"to feel emotion"
📌 Example Usage
"그 장면에서 깊은 감정을
느꼈다."
"I felt deep emotions in that scene."
18. "셋 하면 뛰어"
- "셋" means
"three."
- "하면" means
"if (someone) says."
- "뛰어" is the
imperative form of "뛰다 (to jump/run)":
"Jump!"
📌 Example Usage
"셋 하면 뛰어, 알겠지?"
"Jump on the count of three, okay?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"하나 둘 셋, 시작!" – "One two three, go!"
📌 Example Usage
"하나 둘 셋, 소리
질러!"
"One two three, scream!"
19. "핫 둘 셋 / 하나 둘 셋"
- "하나 둘 셋"
means "one two three" — typical counting before action.
- "핫 둘 셋" is
a variation with emphasis for rhythm or hype.
📌 Example Usage
"하나 둘 셋, 함께
외쳐!"
"One two three, shout together!"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"시작!" –
"Start!"
📌 Example Usage
"시작! 하면
달리는 거야."
"When I say 'start!', we run."
20. "숨 딱 참고 / 숨을 참다"
- "숨" means
"breath."
- “-을”: object
- “딱”: adverb, in a manner that is very decisive or resolute, cutting
things off firmly without hesitation.
particle
- "참다" means
"to hold back" or "endure."
- "숨을 참다"
means "to hold one’s breath."
- "숨 딱 참고" is
an emphatic imperative: "Hold your breath tight!"
📌 Example Usage
"숨 딱 참고, 이제
뛰자!"
"Hold your breath tight—now jump!"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"한숨 참고" –
"hold one breath"
📌 Example Usage
"한숨 참고 들어갔어."
"I held my breath and entered."
21. "웃을 준비를 끝낸"
- "웃다" means
"to smile or laugh."
- "웃을 준비"
means "preparation to smile."
- “-를”: object particle
- "끝낸" is the
attributive form of "끝내다 (to finish)":
"who has finished."
📌 Example Usage
"웃을 준비를 끝낸 그들이
무대로 나섰다."
"They, who had finished preparing to
smile, stepped on the stage."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"준비 완료된 얼굴" –
"a ready-to-smile face"
📌 Example Usage
"준비 완료된 얼굴로 무대에 섰다."
"With a ready smile, they stood on
stage."
22. "아무것도"
- "아무것도"
means "nothing at all" or "not anything."
📌 Example Usage
"우리는 아무것도 두렵지 않아."
"We are not afraid of anything."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"전혀 없다" –
"to have nothing at all"
📌 Example Usage
"희망이 전혀
없었다."
"There was absolutely no hope."
23. "우리를 망가뜨리지 못해 / 우리를 망가뜨리지
못한다"
- "우리를" means
"us" (object form).
- "망가뜨리다"
means "to break" or "to ruin."
- “망가뜨리지 못하다”:
negation, “unable to break (us)”
- "망가뜨리지 못해":
informal sentence ending, it means "can’t break (us)."
📌 Example Usage
"그 누구도 우리를
망가뜨리지 못해."
"No one can destroy us."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"우릴 무너뜨릴 수 없어" –
"can’t bring us down"
📌 Example Usage
"세상의 어떤 것도 우릴
무너뜨릴 수 없어."
"Nothing in this world can bring us
down."
🎶 AKMU – “NAKKA (WITH IU)”: Additional Information
- Song Title (Korean): 낙하
- Release Date: July 26, 2021
- Album: NEXT EPISODE
- Genre: Alternative Pop / Synth Pop
- Lyrics by: Lee Chan-hyuk (AKMU)
- Composed by: Lee Chan-hyuk, Millennium
- Featured Artist: IU
🎶 Introduction
to AKMU & IU
📢 Please check other posts in the K-Lingo category for introductions to other songs, AKMU, and IU.
AKMU
🔖 Learn Korean with AKMU’s “Last Goodbye”: Emotional Lyrics & Vocabulary Breakdown
🔖 Learn Korean Through AKMU’s Most Poetic Ballad: “How can I love the heartbreak…”
IU
🔖 IU & Park Bo-gum’s “The Love Story of a Mountain Boy”: Korean Vocabulary You’ll Love
🔖 IU "Through the Night" Explained: Key Themes, Expressions & Hidden Meanings
🔖 IU’s “Meaning of You” Explained: Korean Vocabulary for Language Learners
🔖 K-Pop Korean Lesson: What IU’s “Midnight Walk” Teaches About Love and Language
🔖 Speak Korean Like a Native with IU - “eight” (Prod. & Feat. SUGA OF BTS): Lyrics & Expressions
🔖 Learn Korean with IU’s "You & I": Lyrics, Meaning, and Key Expressions
🔖 IU “Good Day” Lyrics Meaning & Analysis: The Magic Behind Her Iconic High Note
🔖 Speak Korean Like a Native with IU - "LILAC": Lyrics & Expressions
🔖 Learn Korean Through Lyrics: IU & Lim Hyun-jung’s “Love as Spring Rain, Farewell as Winter Rain” Explained
🌍 If
you’d like to read the full lyrics, please visit official music platforms such
as Melon, Genie Music, Apple Music, or Spotify!
❗The copyright belongs to the original creators,
and the management of music royalties and copyrights is handled by the
respective copyright holders and organizations such as the Korea Copyright
Commission.
❗This analysis is intended for educational and language-learning purposes and does not replace the official lyrics.
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