It is well known that DSP K-pop group KARD has a large and passionate fanbase in Latin America, and so their fans speak several languages. In turn, new fans like to know how many languages KARD can speak, and the answers are rather intriguing and a bit surprising, especially regarding the member BM. So among J.seph, BM, Somin, and Jiwoo, here is the full answer to who speaks the English, Spanish, or even Portuguese language in KARD.
BM Speaks English Natively in KARD and Speaks Some Spanish
Only BM speaks fluent English in KARD, and he also speaks some Spanish and potentially some Portuguese. Although his parents are ethnically Korean, BM is from Los Angeles, California and speaks English natively. In fact, when he moved to South Korea in 2011 to pursue music as a career, BM did not speak Korean!
J.seph recalled in an interview from June 2023 that, at first, BM only knew how to say “hello,” “grandma,” and “kimchi fried rice” in Korean. J.seph elaborated that there was a time where BM needed to request cold pills, but his pronunciation made it sound like he was cursing instead! Even in their current-day group chat, J.seph said BM accidentally wrote, “You’re sneaky, director,” in Korean instead of “Thank you, director,” because he frequently misspells things. Of course, despite the challenges of spelling, BM did become fluent in speaking Korean prior to KARD’s debut promotions.
All members of KARD speak fluent Korean, but among the four members, BM also speaks the most of the Spanish language. While he does not appear to be fluent, he does have an adequate vocabulary and demonstrated in a fun, competitive April 2019 video with hello82 that he comprehends more Spanish than J.seph, Somin, and Jiwoo. (But to their credit, the other members were able to decipher some Spanish words.) There are few available examples of his grammar skills though. It is presumed that BM studied Spanish in school in California, as studying Spanish is common in the American education system.
Lastly, and surprisingly, it is worth noting that BM’s father lived in Brazil from childhood until college, and his father recalls that period with a sense of pride. BM also thought that his father felt pride that KARD is successful in Brazil. That being said, there are very limited examples in video of BM speaking any Portuguese, and it is unclear if BM genuinely speaks any of the language. However, since BM’s father would certainly know how to speak Portuguese, it stands to reason that he may have taught BM since Portuguese. Then again, it’s clear that his parents did not teach him much Korean!
The other KARD members only speak Korean, but they are all appreciative of their international fans and the unique qualities of each language they speak. In particular, Somin likes how pretty “Mi amor” (“My love”) sounds with its Spanish pronunciation. And of course, all the KARD members have spoken English and Spanish in the lyrics of their songs, with Spanish being especially prominent in “Dímelo” (a song that we heartily recommend at K-Pop Answers!).
So to summarize the language skills of KARD, all members speak Korean, while BM speaks English natively, and BM also speaks some Spanish but not fluently. BM might know some Portuguese, but there are few indications of his skill level if so.
For more, check out how old the KARD members are or the unusual answer to who the leader of the group is. Or for more analysis of K-pop groups’ impressive English skills, check out who can speak English in Itzy or Fifty Fifty.