Introduction
Annyeonghaseyo! (안녕하세요!) It’s your friendly Korean tutor, Daily Hangul! 🍎✨
Are you a fan of K-Pop? 🎤 Have you ever seen a scene in a K-Drama where the main characters go into a small room with neon lights, grab a tambourine, and sing their hearts out to relieve stress? That legendary place is called a Noraebang (Karaoke)!
Today, we are going to learn how to say “I am singing” in Korean. Whether you want to tell your friends you are busy being a rockstar or you want to invite them to join you, this lesson is perfect for you. Let’s turn up the volume! 🎵
Key Expressions
Here are 3 essential expressions to talk about singing!
1. 노래방 (Noraebang)
- Pronunciation: [Noraebang]
- Meaning: Karaoke (Singing Room)
- Explanation: This is a compound word: Norae (Song) + Bang (Room). In Korea, you don’t usually sing in an open bar; you rent a private room with friends!
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: The ‘R’ in No-rae is soft, like the ‘dd’ in ‘ladder’. It is not a hard ‘R’ sound.
2. 노래 불러요 (Norae bulleoyo)
- Pronunciation: [Norae bulleoyo]
- Meaning: I am singing / I sing.
- Explanation: The original verb is ‘부르다’ (bureuda). When we speak politely in the present tense, it changes to ‘불러요’ (bulleoyo). You can use this to say what you are doing right now.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: Notice the double ‘L’ sound in bul-leoyo. Make sure your tongue touches the roof of your mouth firmly!
3. 가수 같아요 (Gasu gatayo)
- Pronunciation: [Gasu gatayo]
- Meaning: You sound like a singer!
- Explanation: This is the best compliment you can give your friend. Gasu means ‘singer’, and gatayo means ‘looks like’ or ‘seems like’.
Real Conversation
Let’s see how Minji and Jason talk on the phone! 📱
A (Jason): 민지 씨, 지금 뭐 해요?
(Minji ssi, jigeum mwo haeyo?)
[Minji, what are you doing now?]
B (Minji): 친구랑 노래방에 왔어요. 지금 노래 불러요.
(Chingurang noraebang-e wasseoyo. Jigeum norae bulleoyo.)
[I came to a Noraebang with a friend. I am singing now.]
A (Jason): 와, 정말요? 무슨 노래 불러요?
(Wa, jeongmaryo? Museun norae bulleoyo?)
[Wow, really? What song are you singing?]
B (Minji): BTS 노래요! 같이 놀아요!
(BTS noraeyo! Gachi norayo!)
[A BTS song! Let’s hang out together!]
Culture Tip & Drama Scene 🎬
Did you know? 😮
In Korea, going to a Noraebang is the most popular “second round” (2차, icha) activity after dinner. It’s not about singing perfectly; it’s about having fun and relieving stress!
Recently, “Coin Noraebang” (코인 노래방) has become super popular among students. It’s a smaller booth where you pay by the song (usually 500 KRW or 1,000 KRW for a few songs) instead of paying by the hour. It’s perfect for practicing alone!
Drama Scene: Think of the drama “Reply 1988” or “Hospital Playlist”! You often see the characters shouting and dancing with tambourines. That energy is what we call Heung (흥)! 💃🕺
Conclusion & Quiz
Today we learned how to say you are at a Noraebang and that you are singing. Next time you listen to K-Pop, try singing along and say, “Norae bulleoyo!”
📝 Mini Quiz
- How do you say “Karaoke” in Korean?
( __________ ) -
Fill in the blank: “I am singing” = 노래 ( __________ ).
a) 가요 (gayo)
b) 불러요 (bulleoyo)
See you next time! Annyeong! 👋
Answers:
1. 노래방 (Noraebang)
2. b) 불러요 (bulleoyo)
