Following up on last week’s Jo Yuri feature, today it’s another former Iz*One member bringing us something fresh: Choi Yena is back with “착하다는 말이 제일 싫어” (“I Hate Being Called Kind the Most”).

The MV looks like it’s straight out of a manhwa or a school-set K-drama—soft, pastel, and impossibly cute. But beneath the sweetness lies a lyric with a sting:

“이 세상에서

착하다는 말이 제일 싫어”

“In this world,

‘I think you’re kind’ is the thing I hate most.”

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🌼 Key Phrases to Learn:

1️⃣ 이 세상에서 – In this world

• 이: this
• 세상: world
• -에서: in / from

→ Sets the scope wide, making the statement feel absolute.

2️⃣ 착하다는 말 – The words ‘you’re kind’

• 착하다: to be kind, good-hearted
• -다는: turns it into a quoted/nominal phrase (“that…”)
• 말: words, saying

→ Literally “the saying that someone is kind.”

3️⃣ 제일 – The most

• Superlative marker: “the most / number one.”

→ Adds intensity: not just dislike—it’s the thing she hates the most.

4️⃣ 싫어 – I hate it / I don’t like it

• From 싫다, expressing dislike or aversion.

→ In Korean, this can be emotional as much as factual—it’s not just “I dislike,” it’s “this hurts me.”

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💡 Language & Emotion Tip:

In Korean, being called 착하다 often carries a bittersweet undertone, especially in relationships. It can mean “you’re nice” in a way that puts someone in a safe, friend-zone box, or implies they’re selfless to the point of ignoring their own feelings. This lyric flips the “compliment” into heartbreak.

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💬 Why It Matters:

Yena’s new track wraps a relatable emotional truth in the cutest, shiniest package: sometimes being called “kind” is the last thing you want—because it means you were loved for your patience, not for you.

💛 Has a “compliment” ever hurt more than it helped? Drop a 🌸 if this lyric hit you right in the heart.

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