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What's "MOLLA"? Learn a K-POP word (KWOW #44)

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What's "MOLLA"? Learn a K-POP word (KWOW #44)

MOLLA (몰라) means "I don't know." This is informal so use this version towards friends and those younger than you. When speaking to the elders, always remember to add a "yo" at the end of "molla." Mollayo.

Time to develop your ear to hear MOLLA in songs and more! Can you find where Girls' Generation sings "MOLLA" in their song "Gee"?

Did you find it? MOLLA is sung at 2:05!
Korean: (몰라몰라몰라몰라) 몰라몰라 하며
Romanization: (Molla Molla Molla Molla ) Molla Molla hamyuh
English: (I don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know) While saying I don't know, don't know

Next song! Where do you hear MOLLA in 2NE1's "Ugly"? Listen carefully.

(민지)날 쉽게 이해한다고 하지마 못생기고 삐뚤어진 내 마음이 널 원망할지도 몰라

 

(Minzy) Don't say you understand me so easily You don't know, but my ugly, crooked heart may come to resent you.

Can you spot the first MOLLA sung in T-ara's "Roly Poly"?

Did you find it? It was at 5:10!

For you SHINee lovers out there, here's Taemin singing "Molla" (originally sung by Uhm Jung-hwa back in the 90s). Can you spot the third MOLLA he sings?

Answer time! He sings the third MOLLA at 1:26.

Are you ready for the GRAND FINALE QUESTION? How many MOLLA's can you find in FT Island's "Girls Don't Know"?

Write your answer in the comment area below! The first three people to get the right answer get a reply from their favorite KWOW host :) Post ONE number and tell us your favorite host by this Saturday, April 14, midnight PST.



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Say "Crazy" in Korean - Common K-pop Word (KWOW #43)

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Say "Crazy" in Korean - Common K-pop Word (KWOW #43)

Micheossuh (미쳤어) means "crazy." The unconjugated version of this verb is michida (미치다), which means "to go crazy" or "to be out of one's mind." Watch KWOW episode 43 to learn more:

There's a lot of songs that use micheossuh and the various conjugations of michida. But no other K-pop song uses this word more than Son Dambi's "Crazy":

Here are some phrases from Son Dambi's song:

At 0:24
내가 미쳤어 정말 미쳤어
(Nega micheossuh jungmal micheossuh)
I'm crazy really crazy

At 0:40
미쳤어, 내가 미쳤어, 그땐 미쳐 널 잡지 못했어
(Micheossuh, nega micheossuh, geudden micheo nuhl jabji motaessuh)
Crazy, I'm crazy, I'm going crazy because I didn't hold onto you


In 2NE1's "Fire" song at 1:30, they say…

"난 미미미미미미미치고싶어"
(Nan mi mi mi mi mi mi michigoshipuh)

This translates to "I want to go c-c-c-c-c-c-crazy." Check it out here:

T’ara’s “I Go Crazy Because of You” is yet another song that uses variations of “michida.”

At 0:30
너땜에 온종일 미쳐
(Nuh ddemae onjongil micheo)
I go crazy all day because of you

At 0:32
내 영혼 마저 미쳐
(Neh yoounghon majuh micheo)
Even my soul goes crazy

At 0:39
너땜에 내가 미쳐
(Nuh ddemae nega micheo)
I go crazy because of you

Can you think of other K-pop songs that use micheossuh and the varied conjugations of michida? Let us know in the discussion area below :)



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What's "AJOOMA" & "AJUSSHI"? (KWOW #42)

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What's "AJOOMA" & "AJUSSHI"? (KWOW #42)

This week's episode on KWOW featured two very common words in Korean dramas: AJOOMA and AJUSSHI. If you haven't seen it yet, watcha waiting for? Watch the video below.

When I visited Seoul, I saw a woman walking on the street who lives up to the Ajooma Standard.

Short permed hair? Check. Mismatching patterned clothes and slippers? Check. She wasn't plump, but she's definitely an awesome cook. How do I know this? Because this ajooma is my mother!

If my mom finds out I posted this photo, I'll probably be grounded for the next few weeks. Regardless of how old I am. I must mention: my mother is now more fashion-conscious and wears a balanced amount of patterns.

As we learned in KWOW #42, ajooma is used towards middle-aged women. Ajusshi is the term for middle-aged males.

For those who love Lee Minho, this is for you. Scene from "City Hunter" using the term ajusshi:

There's a movie titled "Ajusshi," starring Won Bin. You'll notice the young girl calling the main character "ajusshi" even though he is not middle-aged. Remember that "ajusshi" also means "mister," thus is acceptable to use toward younger males. However it is not recommended to call females "ajooma" if they are younger than 40 years of age.

Trailer for the "Ajusshi" movie:

Another situation where ajusshi is used as "mister" rather than as "middle-aged man":

Check back next Wednesday! :)



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