{"id":7881,"date":"2023-09-07T00:00:03","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T04:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/?p=7881"},"modified":"2026-03-30T12:41:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T16:41:57","slug":"5-k-pop-songs-will-make-want-know-korean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/5-k-pop-songs-will-make-want-know-korean\/","title":{"rendered":"5 K-Pop Songs That Will Make You Want to Know Korean"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>K-Pop is Korea\u2019s top cultural export today. The genre is a mix of modern music, including pop, rock, and hip-hop, with traditional Korean styles. It has become a global phenomenon thanks to its addictive melodies, striking synchronized choreographies, and attractive singers.<\/p>\n<p>Its popularity makes K-Pop one of the best ways to learn the Korean language: there are plenty of songs available covering all topics, as well as videos with subtitled lyrics. Besides, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/02\/how-to-learn-a-language-through-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>music is one of the best ways to sharpen your language skills<\/u><\/a>, as once a song is stuck in your head, you will start to learn new vocabulary and distinguish sounds.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, K-Pop is a particularly great tool for English speakers hoping to learn Korean. K-Pop uses a lot of English in its lyrics, meaning you have a head start at contextualizing the Korean words used.<\/p>\n<p>Want to give K-Pop a chance? Let\u2019s take a look at 5 essential songs that will help you sharpen your Korean skills!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7883\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7883\" class=\"wp-image-7883 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/11039912626_c5acbca5be_o-700x379.jpg\" alt=\"k-pop band - learn korean\" width=\"700\" height=\"379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/11039912626_c5acbca5be_o-700x379.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/11039912626_c5acbca5be_o-250x136.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/11039912626_c5acbca5be_o-768x416.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/11039912626_c5acbca5be_o-120x65.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7883\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/42438955@N05\/11039912626\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h2>1.\u00a0\u201cInception\u201d by ATEEZ<\/h2>\n<p>ATEEZ is an up-and-coming band in the K-Pop scene, as they definitely know how to reach their fans\u2019 hearts with their songs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInception\u201d is one of the most popular songs in South Korea right now, and has won many awards for its catchy tune and heartfelt lyrics. One of them is the prize given by <em><i>SBS The Show<\/i><\/em>, one of the most popular singing contests in the country.<\/p>\n<p>It describes what one feels when falling in love, like excitement and awe. Further, this song is a great resource for understanding the Korean present tense, since the poetic persona narrates how he feels when he falls for someone else, like in this line:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0\ucc30\ub098\uc758 \uc21c\uac04 \uadf8 \ub208\ub9de\ucda4<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Eyes meet in that short instant<\/p>\n<h2>2.\u00a0\u201cBecause I\u2019m a Girl\u201d by KISS<\/h2>\n<p>Even though this song was released in 2001, it is still very popular in South Korea. Actually, if you happen to do some karaoke while visiting this country, chances are you going to hear it, or maybe even sing it yourself!<\/p>\n<p>It is about a girl who falls in love but ends up with a broken heart. This is reflected in the slow pace of the song, which makes it easy for beginners to understand. Listen past the sweet melody and you will discover that this track is also great for learning the present and future tenses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\ub108\ub97c \uc695\ud558\uba74\uc11c\ub3c4 \ub9ce\uc774 \uadf8\ub9ac\uc6b8\uaebc\uc57c<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Although I will curse you, I&#8217;ll still miss you<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\uc544\uc9c1\ub3c4 \ub110 \ub108\ubb34 \uc0ac\ub791\ud558\ub294\ub370<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">I still love you, I still love you<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So, although the pace of the song makes it easy for learners of all levels to understand, it may be better suited for intermediate-level or higher students who are already familiar with a wide variety of tenses.<\/p>\n<h2>3.\u00a0\u201cI Don\u2019t Care\u201d by 2NE1<\/h2>\n<p>Have you ever wanted to teach a lesson to a self-centered ex? The best way you can do that, according to this song, is by acting as if you did not care.<\/p>\n<p>This song is ideal for intermediate and advanced students who are looking to brush up their knowledge of informal vocabulary and phrases, like:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\ucc28\ub77c\ub9ac \ud640\uac00\ubd84\ud574<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">I\u2019d rather keep it simple<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\uc774\uc820 \uc815\ub9d0 \uc0c1\uad00 \uc548\ud560\uac8c \ube44\ucf1c\uc904\ub798<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">From now on, I really don\u2019t care, I\u2019ll get out of the way<\/p>\n<p>Still, beginners who are looking for a challenge may also enjoy it and understand the gist of the song, since the singers use lots of English phrases, like \u201cI don\u2019t care\u201d and \u201cI won\u2019t let it ride.\u201d You will find yourself humming this tune during the day thanks to its catchy and upbeat tune, but summon the courage to sing it aloud; you will see how much easier it is to remember Korean words and phrases when you speak them!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7884\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7884\" class=\"wp-image-7884 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/8919658975_1bc655e404_o-700x466.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/8919658975_1bc655e404_o-700x466.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/8919658975_1bc655e404_o-250x166.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/8919658975_1bc655e404_o-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/8919658975_1bc655e404_o-120x80.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/8919658975_1bc655e404_o.jpg 1936w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7884\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo of 2NE1 by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/91077831@N00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kiyoung Kim<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/paparazzistudio\/8919658975\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Flicker<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h2>4.\u00a0\u201cDNA\u201d by BTS<\/h2>\n<p>One of the aspects that speakers of Western languages find difficult with Korean is using the right word order, so what better way to practice that than by singing to this melodic song? Some of the lines you may need to repeat a few times to get the hang of this are:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\uc228\uc774 \uba4e\ub294 \uac8c \ucc38 \uc774\uc0c1\ud574<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">breath stopping so strange<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">(It\u2019s so strange that my breath keeps stopping.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\ub0b4 \uc2ec\uc7a5\uc740 \ub110 \ud5a5\ud574 \ub6f0\ub2c8\uae4c<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">my heart you towards beat because<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">(Because my heart only beats for you.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\uc774 \ubaa8\ub4e0 \uac74 \uc6b0\uc5f0\uc774 \uc544\ub2c8\ub2c8\uae4c<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">this everything coincidence not because<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">(Because all of this is not a coincidence.)<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, the Korean language uses the Subject\u2013Object\u2013Verb word order, unlike the Subject\u2013Verb\u2013Object word order used in English. Although this can take some time to master, do not get discouraged! With practice, you will eventually start to form Korean sentences with ease.<\/p>\n<h2>5. &#8220;Kill This Love&#8221; by Blackpink<\/h2>\n<p>This song by Korea\u2019s most popular girl band, Blackpink, is ideal for beginners who want to practice what they have just seen in class. Much of the lyrics are in English, which helps a lot to give context to the parts in Korean. Another benefit is that the\u00a0song is grammatically simple. For example, if you are getting started with the present tense, singing the first stanzas of the song will help you to internalize this grammar structure!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\ucc9c\uc0ac \uac19\uc740 &#8220;hi&#8221; \ub05d\uc5d4 \uc545\ub9c8 \uac19\uc740 &#8220;bye&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">After a sweet &#8220;Hi&#8221;, there&#8217;s always a bitter &#8220;Bye&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\ub9e4\ubc88 \ubbf8\uce60\ub4ef\ud55c high \ub4a4\uc5d4 \ubc49\uc5b4\uc57c \ud558\ub294 price<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">After every crazy high, there&#8217;s a price you have to pay<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>All in all, music is one of the best ways to learn a language. Not only will it motivate you, but it will help you understand the language and culture, as well. And remember, if you like these songs, there are plenty more K-Pop artists for you to discover!\u00a0You can give a listen to some of our favorite ones on our <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/3CoxUblwwC6KLKCZFsui1W?si=fHGONoaoSYa5bN7BHr6beQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>K-Pop Spotify Playlist<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to see how much your Korean skills have improved after practicing with these songs, you can take our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/listening-tests\/korean\/elementary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>FREE Korean listening test for beginners<\/u><\/a>, and if you feel like you need help tackling some difficult language points, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/connect\/open-group-korean-courses.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>explore our online Korean group courses<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"K-Pop is Korea\u2019s top cultural export today. The genre is a mix of modern music, including pop,&#8230;","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":7883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[614],"tags":[1040,1133,1134,689,1135,1132],"class_list":["post-7881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-korean-2","tag-korean-classes","tag-korean-courses","tag-korean-lessons","tag-learn-korean","tag-learn-korean-online","tag-study-korean"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7881"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7948,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7881\/revisions\/7948"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.languagetrainers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}