EXO’s Chanyeol is back with his new EP, and the title track “Upside Down” hits hard with its theme: the contradictions and confusion of youth. Life feels heavy, messy, and impossible to figure out — but beneath it all, there’s still the desire to live fully.

Let’s look at these two contradictory lines:

“이 세상에서 다 지워지고 싶어

아니 완전 다 잊히는 건 싫어”

“I want to be erased from this world,

No—being completely forgotten, I hate that.”

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📝 Key Grammar & Vocabulary

1️⃣ 이 세상에서 – In this world

• 이 = this

• 세상 = world, life

• -에서 = in, from, at (location particle)

→ “In this world.”

2️⃣ 다 지워지고 싶어 – I want to be erased completely

• 다 = all, completely

• 지워지다 = to be erased (passive form of 지우다 = to erase)

• -고 싶어 = want to

→ “I want to be erased completely.”

3️⃣ 아니 – No / wait

• Used as self-correction in speech, showing hesitation or contradiction.

→ “No—”

4️⃣ 완전 다 잊히는 건 싫어 – Being completely forgotten, I hate it

• 완전 = completely, totally

• 잊히다 = to be forgotten (passive of 잊다 = to forget)

• -는 건 = nominalizer + topic particle (“the act of ~”)

• 싫어 = dislike, hate

→ “As for being completely forgotten, I hate it.”

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💡 Language Tip:

Notice how 지워지다 (be erased) and 잊히다 (be forgotten) are both passive verbs formed with -어지다 / -히다.

• 지우다 → 지워지다 (erase → be erased)

• 잊다 → 잊히다 (forget → be forgotten)

They create a feeling of things happening to the speaker, beyond their control.

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💬 Why It Matters:

This pair of lines perfectly shows the contradictions of youth: wanting to disappear from all the pressure, but also afraid of being forgotten completely. Chanyeol captures that raw vulnerability in just a few words.

⚡ Have you ever felt this kind of contradiction — wanting escape but still craving to be remembered? Drop a 🔄 if this lyric resonates!