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Anyone have trouble figuring out what idols sing in English sometimes?


Silent Dawn

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I usually have no trouble understanding songs sung in English (as long as it's not rap), but half of the time in Kpop when idols sing a long line in English I can't understand what they say until I look up for the lyrics. The prime examples are English versions of G(Idle) songs and recently "Want It" of ITZY.  I'm not complaining about them, maybe just my own problem.

Do you have this issue as well?

Edited by Silent Dawn
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English isn't their native language and they are likely unused to singing in it, their words might not register straight away to native english speakers, but that is why we have lyrics online. It's still very commendable that they are singing in a foreign language for us.

I don't really know what you were expecting

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4 minutes ago, blossoms said:


I don't really know what you were expecting

No what I meant was, it could be either them not pronouncing the words correctly, or it could be me not understanding English, because I'm not a native speaker either

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Usually no, there are times where it sounds like they're saying one thing but it's actually another thing. But I can usually understand them. Most people who I listen to pronounce English words fairly well~ Or even if not, I'm used to their accent and I still know what they mean~

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7 minutes ago, Silent Dawn said:

No what I meant was, it could be either them not pronouncing the words correctly, or it could be me not understanding English, because I'm not a native speaker either


But you also say that you usually have no trouble understanding English songs, its only when KPop idols sing in English that you struggle? You've answered your own question then

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1 hour ago, Silent Dawn said:

I can't understand what they say until I look up for the lyrics

Happened to me a lot of times. Nothing new really. It's just my unbearable hearing talent and how we're off with different English accents send me and the idol sang the line to an entire horizon of understanding it so it's pretty normal.

Okay exaggerated. But yes, I'm not an English native person and so do them. So, sometimes it's just hard due to their pronunciation and how I pronounce/hear it make things harder to understand.

I wish my hearing is top-notch but nah

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It's not their native language. For some, yes like Johnny, Mark, Krystal, Tiffany, Jessica or Joshua, went to international schools like CL or spent time overseas like Jaehyun, Bom and Dara.  Or they are just really good  like Namjoon, Minzy or Seohyun. They probably can't understand me speaking Korean.

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I had trouble with so many songs as well, for instance Gfriend's rainbow. Never did I know they say "nothing is impossible" until I checked the lyrics. Nowadays I check the lyrics immediately if I like the song. I find foreigners pronouncing words cute in general. I wonder if I am cute speaking English as well, cause, not a native speaker you know 😄

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yes, there are times where i think that the english lyrics are them actually singing in korean. i think its more when theyre singing fast. 

i was kinda surprised after looking at wannabes lyrics because i thought that ryujins first line was all in korean but its actually "jansorineun stop it". i had no idea. i was rlly surprised because ryujin actually speaks english pretty well at a  basic level but i guess its harder to pronounce when the lines are faster.

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it's the opposite for me, kinda? like when they sprinkle some english words into korean phrases, it's hard for me to catch cuz I'd initially think the entire phrase was all korean words

but if it's a long english phrase, i think I could understand it quite well! maybe it's because I've been into kpop for a decade and am kinda used to the accent by now

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Yeah, often. But they all can improve with time. Monsta X's Shoot Out english version was a disaster tbh but almost 2 years later they rocked with a full english album and I can understand what they sing. Its almost impossible to get things perfect at first, second and third try, that goes for everything not just pronunciation.

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Oh no way, it's not you. I'm a native English speaker and sometimes their English is completely undecipherable. I've been a fan of Kpop for 10 years and even with all that experience listening to Korean voices and Korean pronunciation and accents, I still can't understand a lot of their English lines.

It doesn't help that some of them don't make any sense. Like Mimi's rap in Nonstop... "Hi hi weak body Like them burning and burn but 쉿" What?

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