About the Song
More #TWICE Posts →
“What Is Love?” is a hit single by South Korean girl group TWICE, released on April 9, 2018 as the lead single of their fifth EP What Is Love?. Written and composed by J.Y. Park (Park Jin‑young) and arranged by Lee Woo‑min “collapsedone”, the track became one of TWICE’s most iconic songs, earning the group their third consecutive “Song of the Year” at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards. The song encapsulates the curiosity and excitement of learning about love through books, movies, and dramas, blending TWICE’s bright, upbeat dance sound with touches of trap and retro electro‑pop textures (as noted by Billboard’s Tamar Herman).
The song’s popularity quickly expanded beyond Korea. Both Korean and Japanese versions were later included in TWICE’s second compilation album #TWICE2 (March 2019). The Japanese version was pre‑released on February 7, 2019 with lyrics by Risa Horie, and the group gave their first live performance of the track in Japan on Music Station Super Live on December 21, 2018.
Background & Release
JYP Entertainment teased the release with concept materials highlighting a playful “learning love through media” theme. Following its April 9, 2018 release, “What Is Love?” rapidly became a staple of TWICE’s discography. A Japanese version was subsequently introduced ahead of #TWICE2 on February 7, 2019, further boosting the track’s reach in Japan.
Music Video & Performance
The music video continues TWICE’s playful storytelling tradition, with members recreating iconic scenes from films such as The Princess Diaries, Ghost, La Boum, Pulp Fiction, Romeo and Juliet, Love Letter, La La Land, and Léon: The Professional. The MV also features choreography shots, a pajama‑party movie‑watching scene, and a humorous “commercial break.” It ranked #4 on YouTube Korea’s Top Music Videos of 2018 and #5 on YouTube Japan’s trending music videos the same year. By February 2023, “What Is Love?” became TWICE’s first MV to surpass 700 million views, underscoring its enduring popularity.
Official Music Video – TWICE “What Is Love?”
[Full Lyrics – Romanization & English Only]
🌐 TWICE
🌐 What is love?
🇰🇷 매일같이 영화 속에서나
🔤 maeilgachi yeonghwa sogeseona
🇺🇸 Every day, in movies,
🇰🇷 책 속에서나 드라마 속에서 사랑을 느껴
🔤 chaek sogeseona deurama sogeseo sarangeul neukkyeo
🇺🇸 in books, in dramas, I feel love.
🇰🇷 Mm 사랑을 배워
🔤 mm sarangeul baewo
🇺🇸 Mm, I learn about love.
🇰🇷 내 일처럼 자꾸 가슴이 뛰어, 두근두근거려
🔤 nae ilcheoreom jakku gaseumi ttwieo, dugeundugeungeoryeo
🇺🇸 My heart keeps pounding like it’s happening to me, thump-thump.
🇰🇷 설레임에 부풀어 올라
🔤 seolleime bupureo olla
🇺🇸 I get full of excitement.
🇰🇷 Mm 궁금해서 미칠 것만 같아
🔤 mm gunggeumhaeseo michil geonman gata
🇺🇸 Mm, I feel like I’m going crazy with curiosity.
🇰🇷 Ooh 언젠간 내게도
🔤 ooh eonjengan naegedo
🇺🇸 Ooh, someday,
🇰🇷 이런 일이 실제로 일어날까?
🔤 ireon iri siljero ireonalkka?
🇺🇸 will something like this really happen to me?
🌐 (Ooh-ooh-ooh)
🇰🇷 그게 언제쯤일까? 어떤 사람일까?
🔤 geuge eonjejjeumilkka? eotteon saramilkka?
🇺🇸 When will it be? What kind of person will it be?
🇰🇷 I wanna know 사탕처럼 달콤하다는데
🔤 i wanna know satangcheoreom dalkomhadaneunde
🇺🇸 I wanna know — they say it’s sweet like candy.
🇰🇷 I wanna know 하늘을 나는 것 같다는데
🔤 i wanna know haneureul naneun geot gatdaneunde
🇺🇸 I wanna know — they say it feels like flying in the sky.
🌐 I wanna know, know, know, know —
🇰🇷 What is love? 사랑이 어떤 느낌인지
🔤 what is love? sarangi eotteon neukkiminji
🇺🇸 What is love? What does love feel like?
🇰🇷 I wanna know 하루 종일 웃고 있다는데
🔤 i wanna know haru jongil utgo itdaneunde
🇺🇸 I wanna know — they say you smile all day.
🇰🇷 I wanna know 세상이 다 아름답다는데
🔤 i wanna know sesangi da areumdapdaneunde
🇺🇸 I wanna know — they say the whole world looks beautiful.
🌐 I wanna know, know, know, know —
🇰🇷 What is love? 언젠간 나에게도 사랑이 올까?
🔤 what is love? eonjengan naegedo sarangi olkka?
🇺🇸 What is love? Will love ever come to me someday?
🇰🇷 지금 이런 상상만으로도
🔤 jigeum ireon sangsangmaneurodo
🇺🇸 Just imagining it now,
🇰🇷 떠올려만 봐도 가슴이 터질 것 같은데
🔤 tteoollyeoman bwado gaseumi teojil geot gateunde
🇺🇸 just picturing it makes my heart feel like it’s going to burst.
🇰🇷 Mm 이렇게 좋은데
🔤 mm ireoke joeunde
🇺🇸 Mm, it feels this good already.
🇰🇷 만일 언젠가 진짜로 내게
🔤 manil eonjenga jinjjaro naege
🇺🇸 If someday, for real,
🇰🇷 사랑이 올 때 난 울어버릴지도 몰라
🔤 sarangi ol ttae nan ureobeoriljido molla
🇺🇸 love comes to me, I might end up crying.
🇰🇷 Mm 정말 궁금해 미칠 것만 같아
🔤 mm jeongmal gunggeumhae michil geonman gata
🇺🇸 Mm, I’m so curious I feel like I’ll go crazy.
🇰🇷 Ooh 언젠간 내게도
🔤 ooh eonjengan naegedo
🇺🇸 Ooh, someday,
🇰🇷 이런 일이 실제로 일어날까?
🔤 ireon iri siljero ireonalkka?
🇺🇸 will something like this really happen to me?
🌐 (Ooh-ooh-ooh)
🇰🇷 그게 언제쯤일까? 어떤 사람일까?
🔤 geuge eonjejjeumilkka? eotteon saramilkka?
🇺🇸 When will it be? What kind of person will it be?
🇰🇷 I wanna know 사탕처럼 달콤하다는데
🔤 i wanna know satangcheoreom dalkomhadaneunde
🇺🇸 I wanna know — they say it’s sweet like candy.
🇰🇷 I wanna know 하늘을 나는 것 같다는데
🔤 i wanna know haneureul naneun geot gatdaneunde
🇺🇸 I wanna know — they say it feels like flying in the sky.
🇰🇷 I wanna know, know, know, know
🔤 i wanna know, know, know, know
🇺🇸 I wanna know, know, know, know —
🇰🇷 What is love? 사랑이 어떤 느낌인지
🔤 what is love? sarangi eotteon neukkiminji
🇺🇸 What is love? What does love feel like?
🇰🇷 I wanna know 하루 종일 웃고 있다는데
🔤 i wanna know haru jongil utgo itdaneunde
🇺🇸 I wanna know — they say you smile all day.
🇰🇷 I wanna know 세상이 다 아름답다는데
🔤 i wanna know sesangi da areumdapdaneunde
🇺🇸 I wanna know — they say the whole world looks beautiful.
🇰🇷 I wanna know, know, know, know
🔤 i wanna know, know, know, know
🇺🇸 I wanna know, know, know, know —
🇰🇷 What is love? 언젠간 나에게도 사랑이 올까?
🔤 what is love? eonjengan naegedo sarangi olkka?
🇺🇸 What is love? Will love ever come to me someday?
🇰🇷 지금 세상 어느 곳에 살고 있는지
🔤 jigeum sesang eoneu gose salgo inneunji
🇺🇸 Where in the world is that person living right now?
🇰🇷 도대체 언제쯤 나와 만나게 될런지
🔤 dodaeche eonjejjeum nawa mannage doelleonji
🇺🇸 When on earth will they finally meet me?
🇰🇷 언제, 어떻게 우리의 인연은
🔤 eonje, eotteoke uriui inyeoneun
🇺🇸 When, how will our connection
🇰🇷 시작될런지 모르지만 느낌이 어쩐지
🔤 sijakdoelleonji moreujiman neukkimi eojjeonji
🇺🇸 start— I don’t know, but somehow I feel like
🇰🇷 진, 진, 진짜 좋을 것 같아 왠지
🔤 jin, jin, jinjja joeul geot gata waenji
🇺🇸 it will be really, really, REALLY good.
🇰🇷 영화, 드라마보다도 더 멋진
🔤 yeonghwa, deuramabodado deo meotjin
🇺🇸 Even better than movies or dramas.
🇰🇷 사랑이 올 거야, 내 예감 언제나 맞지
🔤 sarangi ol geoya, nae yegam eonjena matji
🇺🇸 Love will come— my intuition is always right.
🇰🇷 어서 나타나봐, 나는 다 준비가 됐지 ready
🔤 eoseo natanabwa, naneun da junbiga dwaetji ready
🇺🇸 Hurry and appear; I’m already fully prepared. Ready.
🇰🇷 (어디 있을까?) 찾아낼 거야
🔤 (eodi isseulkka?) chajanael geoya
🇺🇸 (Where are you?) I’ll find you.
🇰🇷 (어디 있을까?) 보고 싶어 죽겠어
🔤 (eodi isseulkka?) bogo sipeo jukgesseo
🇺🇸 (Where are you?) I’m dying to see you.
🇰🇷 더 이상 참을 수 없을 것만 같아
🔤 deo isang chameul su eopseul geonman gata
🇺🇸 I feel like I can’t wait anymore.
🇰🇷 사탕처럼 달콤하다는데
🔤 satangcheoreom dalkomhadaneunde
🇺🇸 They say it’s sweet like candy.
🇰🇷 하늘을 나는 것 같다는데
🔤 haneureul naneun geot gatdaneunde
🇺🇸 They say it feels like flying in the sky.
🌐 I wanna know, know, know, know —
🇰🇷 What is love? 사랑이 어떤 느낌인지
🔤 what is love? sarangi eotteon neukkiminji
🇺🇸 What is love? What does love feel like?
🇰🇷 하루 종일 웃고 있다는데
🔤 haru jongil utgo itdaneunde
🇺🇸 They say you smile all day.
🇰🇷 세상이 다 아름답다는데
🔤 sesangi da areumdapdaneunde
🇺🇸 They say the whole world looks beautiful.
🌐 I wanna know, know, know, know —
🇰🇷 What is love? 언젠간 나에게도 사랑이 올까?
🔤 what is love? eonjengan naegedo sarangi olkka?
🇺🇸 What is love? Will love ever come to me someday?
🌐 I wanna know (ooh) / I wanna know (what is love?)
🌐 (I wanna know) I wanna know, know, know, know — What is love? (I wanna know, I wanna know)
🌐 (What is love?) I wanna know / I wanna know, know, know, know — What is love? / I wanna know
Editor’s Note: This is part of a project introducing K-POP songs through romanization, translation, and cultural interpretation.
