This Chuseok, QWER gifted us something truly special — the emotional ballad “Blue Whale.” 🐋 Known for their fun, youthful energy, the band now shows their depth once again, reminding us that they can shine just as bright in heartfelt songs as in their rock-driven hits.

“Blue Whale” is about friendship, trust, and the quiet promise of never having to face hard times alone. Let’s take a look at this beautiful passage:

“너 가는 길이 너무 지치고 힘들 때

말을 해줘 숨기지마 넌 혼자가 아니야”

“When the road you walk gets too tiring and hard,

Tell me — don’t hide it, you’re not alone.”

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💬 Key Phrases to Learn:

1️⃣ 너 가는 길이 너무 지치고 힘들 때 – When your path becomes too exhausting and hard

• 너 – you

• 가는 길 – the road you go / your path (가다 “to go” + 길 “road”)

• 지치고 힘들 때 – when (it) gets tiring and difficult

• 지치다 – to be exhausted

• 힘들다 – to be hard, tough

• -고 – connects verbs (“and”)

• -때 – “when” (marks a time condition)

→ Literally: “When the road you take becomes too tiring and hard.”

2️⃣ 말을 해줘 – Please tell (me)

• 말 – word / speech

• 하다 – to do (말하다 → “to speak / tell”)

• -을 해줘 – “do it for me” / “please say it”

→ A gentle request — “Talk to me, please.”

3️⃣ 숨기지마 – Don’t hide (it)

• 숨기다 – to hide

• -지 마 – negative command (“don’t”)

→ “Don’t hide it from me.” — a warm imperative that signals care, not control.

4️⃣ 넌 혼자가 아니야 – You’re not alone

• 넌 – contraction of 너는 (you + topic particle)

• 혼자 – alone

• -가 아니다 – “is not” (negative copula)

→ A powerful reassurance: “You are not alone.”

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💡 Grammar Tip:

The construction -을 때 (when) is one of the most common in Korean. It’s used to describe a situation or time something happens:

• 힘들때전화해 → “Call me when you’re having a hard time.”

• 행복할때웃어 → “Smile when you’re happy.”

In this lyric, 힘들 때 directly ties the emotional state to an act of communication — “when it’s hard, speak up.”

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💬 Why It Matters:

“Blue Whale” is a song about being someone’s safe harbor — the calm ocean when everything else feels stormy. QWER once again capture a universal message in simple words: no matter how far or deep you drift, someone will listen.

🐋 Who’s your “blue whale” — the person who reminds you you’re not alone? Tag them or drop a 💙 in the comments.