gasareul oe-ul gyeom baendeuui noraereul dasi deureosseo.

the song

Breakdown of gasareul oe-ul gyeom baendeuui noraereul dasi deureosseo.

• 듣다: to listen
• 다시: again
• 외우다: to memorize

Questions & Answers about gasareul oe-ul gyeom baendeuui noraereul dasi deureosseo.

What does 겸 mean here?

겸 means something like while also, as well as, or partly for the purpose of.

In 외울 겸, the speaker is saying they listened again:

• to memorize the lyrics
• and at the same time for another reason too

So the nuance is not just a single, strong purpose like I listened again in order to memorize them, but more like:

• I listened again, also with the idea of memorizing the lyrics
• I listened again as a way of memorizing the lyrics too

It often implies combining two purposes/actions together.

Why is it 외울 겸 and not 외워 겸?

Because 겸 attaches to a form based on the verb stem that functions like a modifier/future-like form.

• 외우다 = to memorize
• stem: 외우-
• 외울 = the form used before 겸

So:

• 외울 겸 = with the intention of memorizing / while also using it to memorize

You cannot say 외워 겸 here.

This is similar to how some other expressions use the -(으)ㄹ form before another word.

How is 외울 겸 different from 외우려고?