Today marks AHOF’s very first comeback — and what a poetic one it is. Their title track, “Pinocchio (피노키오는 거짓말을 싫어해)” — literally “Pinocchio Hates to Lie” — dives into the emotional tangle of growing up, being honest, and getting hurt.

It’s not just about the fairytale wooden boy — it’s about all of us trying to tell the truth while hiding our hearts. The lyrics capture that bittersweet mix of innocence and fear that comes with learning to love and to be real.

Let’s look at one of the song’s most touching lines:

“코가 길어진 어린 피노키오는

사실은 무서웠던 걸까?”

“The young Pinocchio whose nose grew —

was he actually just scared?”

—

👃 1️⃣ 코가 길어진 – “(whose) nose grew long”

• 코 → nose

• 길어지다 → to become long / to grow longer

• -ㄴ → adjective ending that modifies the following noun

💡 Grammar note:

길어지다 is the passive form of 길게 하다 (“to make long”), meaning “to get longer.”

So 코가 길어진 literally means “the nose that has grown long.”

In context, it recalls the fairytale image — lying leads to a growing nose — but here it becomes a metaphor for emotional defensiveness.

—

👶 2️⃣ 어린 – “young”

• 어리다 → to be young

• -ㄴ → adjective form

💡 Grammar note:

어린 often carries a nuance of innocence or immaturity, not just youth in age.

The phrase 어린 피노키오 adds tenderness — this isn’t the cynical liar, but a child afraid of honesty.

—

🪵 3️⃣ 피노키오는 – “Pinocchio (topic particle)”

• 피노키오 → Pinocchio

• -는 → topic marker

💡 Grammar tip:

The topic particle -은/는 sets the stage for what the sentence is about.

Here, “As for Pinocchio…” — it frames him as the emotional focus, inviting reflection.

—

😨 4️⃣ 사실은 무서웠던 걸까 – “was he actually scared?”

• 사실 → truth / actually

• -은 → topic marker

• 무섭다 → to be scared

• -었던 → past adjective form

• 걸까 → short for “것일까,” meaning “I wonder if (it was)”

💡 Grammar note:

걸까 softens the sentence into a reflective question — not literal, but emotional.

It’s as if the narrator is asking themselves: Was the lie really about fear, not deceit?

—

💔 Why It Matters

AHOF’s “Pinocchio” turns a childhood story into a mirror of adolescence — showing how lies often come from fear, not malice.

“코가 길어진 어린 피노키오는 사실은 무서웠던 걸까?” captures that fragile moment when honesty feels dangerous and hiding feels safer.

The lyric reminds us: sometimes the bravest thing isn’t telling the truth — it’s admitting why we didn’t.

✨ What do you think — is lying ever just a way of protecting yourself? Drop a 🪵 or 💭 below.