Hey AI, Play K-Pop! Master Your Korean Smart Speaker
Hello! Welcome to Maeil Hangul, your daily stop for leveling up your Korean skills!
Have you ever been in a Korean friend’s home and seen them talk to a small speaker, which then magically starts playing music or tells them the weather? Today, we’re diving into how to command a smart speaker in Korean! This is super useful not just for your own home, but also to impress your friends. Lately in Korea, smart homes are all the rage, and almost everyone uses an AI assistant like ‘기가지니 (GiGA Genie)’ or ‘클로바 (Clova)’. Let’s learn how to become the DJ at your next gathering, Korean style!
Key Expressions You Need to Know
Here are the essential phrases to get your smart speaker to listen to you.
1. 음악 틀어 줘 (Eumak teureo jwo)
* Pronunciation [Romanized]: [eu-mak teu-reo jwo]
* English Meaning: Play music (for me).
* Detailed Explanation: This is the most common and casual way to ask for music. It literally means “Turn on music for me.” The -아/어 줘 (-a/eo jwo) grammar pattern is a friendly way to ask someone (or something!) to do a favor for you. You can put a specific artist or song title before it. For example, “BTS 노래 틀어 줘” (Play a BTS song).
2. 다음 곡 (Daeum gok)
* Pronunciation [Romanized]: [da-eum gok]
* English Meaning: Next song.
* Detailed Explanation: Simple and direct! 다음 (daeum) means “next” and 곡 (gok) means “song.” When you want to skip the current track, you can just say, “헤이 클로바, 다음 곡!” (Hey Clova, next song!). You can also say 다음 곡으로 넘겨 줘 (daeum gog-euro neom-gyeo jwo) which means “Skip to the next song.”
3. 볼륨 높여 줘 / 낮춰 줘 (Bollyum nopyeo jwo / natchwo jwo)
* Pronunciation [Romanized]: [bol-lyum nop-yeo jwo / nat-chwo jwo]
* English Meaning: Turn the volume up / Turn the volume down.
* Detailed Explanation: 볼륨 (bollyum) is a perfect example of Konglish (Korean-style English). It’s just “volume”! 높이다 (nopida) means “to raise” and 낮추다 (nachuda) means “to lower.” Combine them with our friendly -아/어 줘 pattern, and you’re in full control of the sound.
4. 최신곡 (Choesingok)
* Pronunciation [Romanized]: [choe-sin-gok]
* English Meaning: The latest songs / new releases.
* Detailed Explanation: Want to know what’s currently topping the charts in Korea? Use this word! 최신 (choesin) means “the newest” or “the latest.” So, you can ask your speaker, “최신곡 틀어 줘” to discover new K-Pop hits.
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these expressions work in a real-life conversation at a small house party.
- A: 와, 집 분위기 너무 좋다! 음악만 있으면 완벽하겠어.
(Wa, jip bunwigi neomu jota! Eumangman isseumyeon wanbyeokagesseo.)
Wow, the vibe in your house is so nice! It would be perfect with some music. - B: 그렇지? 내가 책임질게. 헤이 지니, 신나는 최신곡 틀어 줘!
(Geureochi? Naega chaegimjilge. Hei Jini, sinnaneun choesingok teureo jwo!)
Right? I’ll take care of it. Hey Genie, play some exciting new songs! - (Music starts playing – maybe a song by NewJeans or SEVENTEEN)
- A: 오, 이 노래! 너무 좋아! 볼륨 좀만 더 높여 줘!
(O, i norae! Neomu joa! Bollyum jomman deo nopyeo jwo!)
Oh, this song! I love it! Turn the volume up a little more! - B: 알았어. 헤이 지니, 볼륨 5로 해 줘.
(Arasseo. Hei Jini, bollyum o-ro hae jwo.)
Got it. Hey Genie, set the volume to 5.
Culture Tip & Trend Analysis
In Korea, smart speakers aren’t just gadgets; they’re part of the ‘빨리빨리’ (ppalli-ppalli) or “hurry, hurry” culture. Why waste time finding your phone, opening an app, and searching for a song when you can just say it out loud? The top smart speakers from telecom giants like KT (GiGA Genie), SKT (Nugu), and tech company Naver (Clova) are deeply integrated into new apartments, controlling lights, air conditioning, and even elevators.
Pro-Tip: Using these commands clearly is also great pronunciation practice! If the AI understands you, it means your Korean pronunciation is getting really good. Many Koreans jokingly test their pronunciation against their AI speakers, especially with tricky English song titles. If you can get your speaker to play “Dynamite” by saying “다이너마이트 틀어 줘,” you’re a true pro!
Let’s Practice!
Time to check what you’ve learned. How would you ask your Korean smart speaker to do the following?
- Play a song by the artist IU.
- The music is too loud! Ask it to turn the volume down.
You did an amazing job today! Now you’re ready to be the life of the party and show off your modern Korean skills.
Try leaving a comment below with your answers to the practice questions! See you next time at Maeil Hangul
