Today not a new release but a trip into the strange, surreal world of Billlie!
Their 2022 hit “GingaMingaYo (the strange world)” remains one of the most unique and experimental K-pop songs of recent years.
The song (and MV) throw us into a kaleidoscope of emotions — confusion, fear, curiosity — exactly what the title implies: a strange world.
And while we still wait for new music from Billlie (it’s been over a year since “Of All We Have Lost” 😢), let’s revisit this powerful lyric:
“겁이 나서 도망쳤다 말하면
왜 이리 참을성 없냬”
“If I say I ran away because I was scared,
they say, ‘Why are you so impatient?’”
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💬 Key Phrases to Learn:
1️⃣ 겁이 나서 – because I was scared
• 겁 – fear
• 이 나다 – to arise / to feel (lit. “fear arises”)
→ 겁이 나다 = “to be afraid”
• -서 – because / so
💡 Grammar: V/A-아서/어서 connects cause and effect — “because (I was scared).”
2️⃣ 도망쳤다 – ran away
• From 도망치다 – to escape, to run away
• -었다 – past tense
→ “(I) ran away.”
3️⃣ 말하면 – if I say
• 말하다 – to say
• -면 – if / when
💡 Grammar: V-면 expresses condition or supposition — “if / when (something happens).”
4️⃣ 왜 이리 참을성 없냬 – they say, ‘Why are you so impatient?’
• 왜 이리 – why so / why like this
• 참을성 – patience
• 없냬 – shortened form of 없냐고 해 (from 없냐고 하다) → indirect quotation
💡 Grammar:
• V/A-냐고 하다 = indirect quote of a question (“someone asked why…”).
• 없냬 is a colloquial contraction, giving a casual spoken tone.
→ Literally: “They’re asking why I’m so impatient.”
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💡 Grammar Tip:
This line shows indirect speech in Korean, where the speaker reports what others said.
• 없냐고 해요 → polite
• 없냬 → casual, conversational
These compressed endings (like 냬, 대, 래) often appear in pop lyrics and dialogue to sound natural or emotional.
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💬 Why It Matters:
Billlie’s lyrics often explore anxiety, confusion, and identity — and this line perfectly encapsulates that tension.
The speaker confesses fear (겁이나서도망쳤다), only to be misunderstood (참을성없냬).
It’s the feeling of being trapped between emotion and expectation — one of the recurring motifs in Billlie’s universe.
💭 Do you also miss Billlie’s wonderfully strange world? Drop a 💫 if you’re hoping for a comeback soon!