Key Facts
- Hangul: 가수; Revised Romanization: gasu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 歌手 (歌 song + 手 person skilled)
- Register: Neutral; the standard word.
Singer in Korean: What Does 가수 Mean?
가수 is the standard, neutral word for a singer. It covers pop stars and professional vocalists alike. Three common phrases go with it: becoming a singer, being a popular one and making a debut.
How Do You Pronounce 가수?
Say ga-su. The first syllable starts with a soft g that sits between English "g" and "k". The second syllable is "soo", with a plain ending vowel.
Example Sentences with 가수
가수는 노래를 불러요.
Gasuneun noraereul bulleoyo.
The singer sings songs.
가수는 노래를 불러요 defines the job. 노래 is the song and 불러요 is "sing".
저는 그 가수를 좋아해요.
Jeoneun geu gasureul joahaeyo.
I like that singer.
저는 그 가수를 좋아해요 uses 그 for "that", a way to point to a singer already under discussion.
제 꿈은 가수예요.
Je kkumeun gasuyeyo.
My dream is to be a singer.
제 꿈은 가수예요 turns the word into a goal. 꿈 means "dream" and 예요 is the copula "is".
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 가수가 되다 | to become a singer |
| 인기 가수 | popular singer |
| 가수 데뷔 | singer debut |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: mixing 가수 up with the similar-sounding 가사 ("lyrics"). Correct: the singer is 가수, ending in 수; 가사 is the words of the song.
가수 Compared with Similar Words
Two related words matter. 아이돌 is a K-pop idol group member, a narrower role. 노래 is the song itself, not the person who performs it.
| Word | Meaning | Versus singer |
|---|---|---|
| 가수 | singer | This page's word |
| 아이돌 | idol | 아이돌 is a K-pop idol group member. |
| 노래 | song | 노래 is the song itself. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
가수 is Sino-Korean, written 歌手 in hanja: 歌 is song and 手 means a person skilled at something. The same 手 shows up in other job words, so noticing it speeds up later vocabulary.
Recognizing a Singer on Television
Two coworkers are watching a music performance during a break. One recognizes the song but does not yet know who is performing it.
Alex
이 가수 알아요?
I gasu arayo?
Do you know this singer?
Jisu
네. 제가 좋아하는 가수예요.
Ne. Jega joahaneun gasuyeyo.
Yes. This is a singer I like.
Alex
이 노래 제목이 뭐예요?
I norae jemogi mwoyeyo?
What is the title of this song?
Jisu
제목은 저도 몰라요.
Jemogeun jeodo mollayo.
I do not know the title either.
제가 좋아하는 가수 means “a singer I like”. The describing phrase comes before 가수, while 예요 completes the sentence after the noun. The next question changes from the performer to 노래 제목, the song title. Knowing the singer and knowing a particular title are separate pieces of information.
Which Descriptions Commonly Come before 가수?
인기 가수 means a popular singer. 인기 is popularity, so the phrase describes public appeal rather than a musical genre. 신인 가수 means a new or debuting singer. 신인 concerns the performer’s career stage; it does not automatically mean the person is young.
솔로 가수 means a solo singer, in contrast with performing as part of a group. A person can have both group work and a solo career, so the description may apply to a particular release or performance. 발라드 가수 is a ballad singer, which describes the style the artist is associated with.
가수로 데뷔하다 means to debut as a singer. The particle 로 marks the role in which someone makes a debut. Compare 가수가 되다, becoming a singer: the debut phrase names a public career event, while “become” can describe the broader goal or result.
Where Will You Hear 가수?
Music programs and entertainment news use 가수 to identify a performer’s occupation. A caption may place 가수 beside the person’s name. A music app may instead use 아티스트, “artist”, as a broader category that also covers bands and other performers. These labels help you separate the performer field from the song title.
In daily talk, 좋아하는 가수 means a singer someone likes. The word 가수 is neutral and works in polite conversation without changing its shape. To address a performer directly, their name with an appropriate title or 님 is more natural than calling out the bare job word 가수 as if it were a name.
A friend who sings well is not automatically a professional 가수. 노래를 잘하다 means to sing well and describes ability. 가수 identifies a role or occupation. In a conversation about career plans, the distinction matters: enjoying karaoke and working as a singer are different claims.
가수 and 가사 also take different subject markers because their endings differ. 가수가 introduces a singer as the subject; 가사가 introduces the lyrics. Both nouns end in vowels and take 가, but the resulting strings look similar. Identify the whole noun before deciding whether the sentence is about the performer or the song’s words.
Keep the Person, Song and Performance Separate
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 가사 | lyrics | The words of a song; keep the final 사 distinct from 수. |
| 작곡가 | composer | The person who writes the music. |
| 무대 | stage | Also used for a performance in entertainment talk. |
| 관객 | audience | The people watching a performance. |
| 콘서트 | concert | An event where you might see a 가수 perform. |
The jobs vocabulary lesson places 가수 alongside other occupations. The song word page helps with the other half of a music conversation: what the person sings.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 신인 가수 necessarily mean a young singer?
- Which word means lyrics: 가수 or 가사?
- What does 가수로 데뷔하다 describe?
Show answers
- No. It means a singer who is new to the professional scene.
- 가사.
- Making a debut as a singer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "singer" in Korean?
Say 가수 (gasu).
How do you say "popular singer"?
Say 인기 가수.
How do I say I want to be a singer?
Say 제 꿈은 가수예요, "My dream is to be a singer."
Is a 가수 the same as an 아이돌?
No. 아이돌 is a K-pop idol group member, while 가수 is the general word.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: people jobs vocabulary places singer among related words.
- Index: more words after singer are in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: save singer in the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next to read: the page for soldier.
- Compare with the page for idol.
- Compare with the page for song.