Korean Music Genres Vocabulary: 30 Words with Romanization and Audio

What you'll learn

• Match all 30 genre words to their English meanings.
• Tell a genre name from a word for a song, a singer or a style.
• Say five of the words aloud with the help of the Revised Romanization and the audio.
• Write two original sentences with words such as 케이팝 and 발라드.

Prerequisites: you can read Hangul and know the basic music words in Korean music vocabulary. Estimated time: about 50 minutes, plus short reviews on the following days.

Korean Music Genres Vocabulary at a Glance

Korean has no single native word for most genres. Pop, rock, jazz and hip-hop come from English and are written in Hangul, so a learner who reads Hangul can say them at once. A smaller group is Korean: 트로트 is a Korean pop style, 민요 is folk song and 국악 is the umbrella word for traditional Korean music. The two groups sit side by side in everyday talk, which is why this list mixes them.

Genre words also show up in compound words. Put 음악 (music) after a genre, as in 록 음악 (rock music), or add 곡 (a piece of music) to make 댄스곡 (dance track) and 히트곡 (hit song). The list sits inside Music, and the neighbouring page is Korean musical instruments. For fan words, see K-pop words.

By origin, the list has 6 Sino-Korean words, 2 native Korean words (판소리 and 아리랑), 20 loanwords, and 2 mixed words (an English loanword joined to the Sino-Korean 곡: 댄스곡 and 히트곡).

Which Music Genre Names Should You Learn First?

Start with five words: 케이팝, 발라드, 힙합, 트로트 and 클래식. They are the genres you are most likely to hear in Korea. Press the slow button, say each word, then listen to the sentence.

The scene below shows twelve of the 30 words. Each number matches a word in the lists that follow.

Word · 12

1. 1

   케이팝

   Play

   keipap

   K-pop

2. 2

   팝송

   Play

   papsong

   pop song (usually in English)

3. 3

   아이돌

   Play

   aidol

   idol (pop performer)

4. 4

   발라드

   Play

   balladeu

   ballad

5. 5

   힙합

   Play

   hiphap

   hip-hop

6. 6

   랩

   Play

   raep

   rap

7. 7

   록

   Play

   rok

   rock

8. 8

   트로트

   Play

   teuroteu

   trot

9. 9

   국악

   Play

   gugak

   Korean traditional music

10. 10

    클래식

    Play

    keullaesik

    classical music

11. 11

    재즈

    Play

    jaejeu

    jazz

12. 12

    오케스트라

    Play

    okeseuteura

    orchestra

Twelve numbered objects match twelve genre words from the lists. Use the list under the picture if you cannot see the numbers.

Pop and K-Pop

Six words for pop music and the people and songs around it. The word 곡 (piece, track) is a Sino-Korean suffix that appears in several of them.

• 케이팝: The standard spelling is 케이팝, and K팝 also appears in print. 인기가 많다 means to be popular.
• 팝송: Borrowed from English pop song, but in Korea it means a Western, usually English-language, pop song. A Korean pop song is a 가요.
• 아이돌: A young singer who trains in a company and performs in a group. 춤을 추다 means to dance.
• 댄스곡: 댄스 (dance, a loanword) plus 곡 (track). It names an upbeat song with a strong beat.
• 신곡: 신 (new) plus 곡 (song). The verb 나오다 means to come out.
• 히트곡: 히트 (hit, a loanword) plus 곡. The word comes up in music chart talk.

Example Sentences

Press play and repeat each sentence aloud. The first group shows how to say a thing is popular, new or fast.

Look at the verb endings 배워요, 춰요 and 나와요: each joins the stem vowel with the ending. Say each sentence twice, once slowly and once at normal speed.

Ballad and R&B

Six words for slower, softer styles. Korean ballads are an important part of the music scene, so this group is useful for talking about taste.

• 발라드: A slow pop love song. The final 드 is a short ㅡ sound with unrounded lips.
• 알앤비: Written as the letter names 알, 앤, 비. Said [아랜비], because the ㄹ moves onto the empty ㅇ of 앤.
• 소울: Two syllables, so-ul, written soul in RR. It is used mainly for the music style, as in 소울 음악 (soul music).
• 어쿠스틱: Four syllables: eo-ku-seu-tik. The last syllable ends in ㄱ, written k at the end of a word in the Revised Romanization.
• 인디: Short for independent. 인디 밴드 is a band that works outside the big companies.
• 감성: Used as a label for music with a soft, emotional mood. The adjective form is 감성적인.

Hip-Hop and Rock

Six words for the louder styles. All are English loanwords, so the main task is to read the Hangul spellings correctly.

• 힙합: Said [히팝]. The ㅂ at the end of 힙 and the ㅎ of 합 blend into one puffed ㅍ.
• 랩: The verb is 하다, so 랩을 하다 means to rap. A rap verse is also called 랩.
• 래퍼: Spelled with ㅐ in the first syllable and ㅓ in the second. The verb 쓰다 changes to 써요.
• 록: Said rok, with no added vowel. 록 음악 means rock music.
• 메탈: Short for heavy metal. The two-syllable form is common in conversation.
• 펑크: A loanword from English punk. The ㅋ that starts 크 is a strong, breathy k, followed by a short ㅡ.

Trot and Traditional

Six words for Korean styles. Trot is a pop genre, and the other five are folk or traditional music words.

• 트로트: A Korean pop style with a lively, repeating rhythm. Its roots go back to the first half of the 20th century, and TV audition shows from about 2019 gave it a new wave of popularity.
• 민요: 민 (people) plus 요 (song). Said [미뇨], because the final ㄴ moves onto the empty ㅇ.
• 국악: Said [구각], because the final ㄱ moves onto the next syllable. 국 (nation) plus 악 (music).
• 판소리: A traditional genre with one singer and one drummer. The Korean music vocabulary page also lists it.
• 아리랑: A well-known folk song with many regional versions. The title is a name, so it has no plain English meaning.
• 동요: 동 (child) plus 요 (song). The same syllable 요 appears in 민요.

Classical and Jazz

Six words for concert music and the stage. They are all loanwords except for the Sino-Korean 교향곡 (symphony).

• 클래식: Three syllables: keul-lae-sik. The ㄹㄹ in the middle is one long l sound.
• 재즈: Said jae-jeu. A 재즈 바 is a bar with live jazz.
• 오페라: Three even syllables: o-pe-ra. The first syllable has a rounded ㅗ.
• 오케스트라: Five syllables: o-ke-seu-teu-ra. 시작하다 changes to 시작해요.
• 교향곡: 교향 (sounding together) plus 곡 (piece). 들었어요 is the past of 듣다, which is ㄷ-irregular.
• 뮤지컬: A stage show with songs. The word is a loanword with three syllables: myu-ji-keol.

노래, 음악 or 곡: Which Word Means Song?

노래 (norae) is a song, or singing: 노래를 불러요 means "I sing a song". 음악 (eumak) is music in general, the word you put after a genre (록 음악). 곡 (gok) is a piece or track, used for counting songs and in compounds: 이 앨범에 열 곡이 있어요 (i aelbeome yeol gogi isseoyo, "This album has ten tracks"). A piece with no singing is a 곡, never a 노래.

Streaming apps and music shops use a small set of extra words. They sit next to the genre names in every app menu.

재생목록 shows two sound changes inside one word: ㄹ becomes ㄴ after ㄱ, and then ㄱ becomes ㅇ before that ㄴ. The next section turns to the rules behind sounds like these.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Most genre names are loanwords with no sound change, but a few Korean words follow rules. The table includes 협주곡 (concerto), which is not on the list but shows a tensing rule you will hear in concert programmes. It follows the standard pronunciation rules (표준 발음법) of the 국립국어원 (National Institute of Korean Language).

Revised Romanization follows the spoken sound when a consonant moves or changes, as in 알앤비 (araenbi), but it does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound: 협주곡 is written hyeopjugok even though it is said [협쭈곡]. A noun such as 힙합 keeps its h, so it is hiphap.

Audio and Slow Playback

Each headword and each example sentence has its own audio clip, and the 5 words in the first-words section also have a slow clip at 0.8 times the speed. Nothing plays until you press a button. Listen to 국악 and 민요 one after the other and hear how the last consonant of the first syllable moves to the next one.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Music Genre Names?

• Saying 팝송 for any pop song. In Korea it means an English-language pop song, and a Korean pop song is a 가요.
• Adding a vowel to loanwords that end in a consonant. 록 is rok, 랩 is raep, and 힙합 is hiphap.
• Using 케이팝 as the name of every Korean song. Trot, ballad and hip-hop made in Korea are different genres.
• Writing 클레식 or 클라식 instead of 클래식. The vowel in the second syllable is ㅐ.
• Translating 감성 only as sensitivity. In music talk it is a mood label, as in 감성 발라드.
• Reading 알앤비 letter by letter, with a pause after 알. The ㄹ moves to the next syllable: [아랜비].

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Drill all 30 words with the vocabulary flashcard decks: each card shows the Hangul on one side and the meaning on the other. A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. A simple plan is to learn one group a day, then sort your own playlist into the five groups in Korean.

Quick Quiz

Choose the best answer. The explanation after each question tells you why.

Write two sentences of your own, one about the music you like and one about a genre you do not like. For example, 저는 재즈를 좋아해요 or 저는 메탈을 안 좋아해요.

Where to Go Next

This genres list sits inside Music. The neighbouring page is Korean musical instruments. For fan culture words, see K-pop words.

FAQ

How Do You Say K-Pop in Korean?

Say 케이팝 (keipap). It is the Korean spelling of the English letters K and pop. The shorter form K팝 also appears in writing. Korean songs in general are called 가요, and a K-pop group is often called an 아이돌 그룹.

How Do You Pronounce 발라드 (balladeu)?

Say bal-la-deu in three syllables. The ㄹㄹ in the middle is one long l sound, and the last syllable has a short, unrounded ㅡ vowel. Revised Romanization writes it balladeu.

How Many Music Genre Names Should I Learn First?

Learn the five words in the first-words section: 케이팝, 발라드, 힙합, 트로트 and 클래식. Then add one group a day and review the older words before new ones.

Where Can I Practise Music Genre Names with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. Add the pop words first, then the louder styles, and finish with the traditional group.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, the system South Korea has officially used since 2000, as a learning aid. It does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound, so 협주곡 is written hyeopjugok but said [협쭈곡]. Always read the Hangul as well.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Music Genre Names?

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For additional practice, write the Korean genre next to each numbered object in the scene above.

Save This to Pinterest