10 K-Pop Songs That Teach Basic Korean Phrases + Chance To Win Korean Study Guides
K-pop songs are filled with tons of catchy Korean phrases, and any longtime fan of K-pop has probably picked up a few words or phrases here and there. But many Korean songs have English choruses, leading to many K-pop fans just singing along with the English hook rather than taking in much Korean language skills. In this list, we’ve compiled some of the best Korean songs for learning a bit of Korean language, which will help you out if you ever find yourself in Korea, or if you just want to impress people with all of the cultural diffusion that K-pop promotes.
In case these songs aren’t enough for you, and you feel like you really want to get your Korean on, check out our giveaway at the bottom of this list for two books that will help you study Korean vocabulary and grammar.
1. “Hi” [Lovelyz “Hi~”]
Annyeong is a shorter version of annyeonghaseyo, or Korea’s formal word for “hello.” Lovelyz’ “Hi~” is the perfect example of a bright song to learn how to greet someone in Korean. (Fun fact: if you’ve seen the American TV show “Arrested Development,” you’ll need to re-learn the pronunciation since the characters mispronounce annyang throughout the series.)
2. & 3. “Oppa” & “Noona” [Psy “Gangnam Style” & SHINee “Noona, You’re So Pretty”]
The most popular Korean word in 2012 was easily “Oppa” thanks to Psy’s famous song “Gangnam Style.” Many people may not actually realize that oppa is actually the Korean word that technically means a girl’s older brother, and is what female call old males who they have a close relationship with, whether it’s brothers, friends, boyfriends, or husbands.
The equivalent term for males to call an older female was made famous in SHINee’s iconic 2009 debut song “Noona, You’re So Pretty.” Noona similarly means a boy’s older sister and can be used for women a younger man has a relationship with.