Korean is a wonderful language. And learning it with fun resources will make your studies enjoyable. That is why we compiled this list of easy Korean songs to sing. Why struggle with boring language learning when you can sing your way to fluency?
Get your vocal cords ready for some lively tunes. These songs are not only colorful, but they’re also an important piece of Korean culture. From children’s songs to catchy K-pop tunes, you’re about to learn popular to melodies that an entire nation knows. Oh. And feel free to sing along!
10 Korean Songs That Are Easy to Sing
1. “산토끼” (Mountain Bunny)
This is one of the most well-known children’s songs in Korea. Everyone knows the lyrics. The song is about a mountain rabbit’s life as it hops around and finds food. “Mountain Bunny” is useful for Korean language learners for vocabulary and onomatopoeias (words that mimic sounds). It’s also an easy Korean song to sing thanks to its catchy tune.
2. “아리랑” (Arirang)
“Arirang” is sometimes called the unofficial National Anthem of Korea. This well-loved folk song is about a lady who complains about her lover not having any feelings. Much to her dismay, he takes off, even though she loves him. The song represents the Korean people’s joys and sorrows. It’s also considered to be symbolic of Korean struggles under Japanese rule.
Because it’s so famous, “Arirang” is a must-know. Not only is the song culturally important, but it also teaches you useful vocabulary.
3. “곰 세 마리” (Three Bears)
Another dearly loved popular kid’s song in Korea today is, “Three Bears”. This is an incredibly endearing tune that is also very straightforward. And even though it’s simple, it’s great for proving that elaborate vocabulary is not needed to tell a touching story.
The song tells the story of a family of bears. Each has its own unique personality and looks. The bears live happily together in a house where Papa is a big fat bear, Mama is a thin bear, and the cute one is, Baby Bear.
If you want easy Korean songs to sing, “Three Bears” is perfect for you. It will help you learn all of the Korean sentence structure essentials that include key and root vocabulary and word order. It’s also a fun way to pick up expressions and words that help describe the appearance of a family or an individual as well as numerals and counting units in the Korean counting system.
4. “갑돌이와 갑순이” (The Story of Kap Do-li and Kap Soo-ni)
This is a traditional romantic folk song in Korea that is very well-known throughout the country. The song tells a story about a young lady called, “Kap Soo-ni,”, and her lover, “Kap Do-li”. The two lived in a village where they fell in love. Except, they didn’t let each other know about their feelings and ended up marrying other people.
This song is a great way to learn the Korean structure of reported speech. The narrator doesn’t just tell the story, he talks about what he heard. He tells the story in an accurate and moving way, resulting in each sentence incorporating the patterns and endings of indirect speech.
There are also a number of action verbs in the song. The idioms that these sentences create can help you speak like a Korean local easily.
5. 나비야 (Butterfly)
This Korean children’s song seems very simple, but it’s a great way to ease into Korean pronunciation. The rhyme about the flying butterfly can also help you engage with the musicality of the language.
6. 넓고 넓은 바닷가에 (On a Vast Wide Open Seashore)
You may recognize the melody of this popular Korean song. This is the Korean version of ‘Oh My Darling Clementine’. If the theme and tune are familiar, it’ll be easy to sing this Korean song. But if not, don’t worry. The lyrics are simple and you’ll definitely learn it in no time.
7. 생일 축하합니다 (Happy Birthday)
Although it’s not a complicated song, it is undoubtedly very useful. Singing happy birthday to your Korean friends in Korean will definitely show them how much you care. Since you know the melody already, it won’t be challenging to get the rhythm and beat of the song.
8. 반달 (Half-Moon)
This beautiful lullaby is not just lovely to listen to. It’s also very poetic. Learning this song will give you an insight into Korean poetic art. The story is about traveling across the Milky Way, across the skies, and the clouds. Listening to the soothing sounds of this music can help you fall asleep and perhaps even dream in Korean.
9. 코끼리아저씨는 (Mr. Elephant’s Nose)
“Mr. Elephant’s Nose” is a surreal little children’s rhyme. It’s about how elephants use their trunks to hold objects. It not long, so if you want a quick and easy Korean song to sing with limited time, then this is perfect for you.
10. 옹달샘 (Little Spring)
This song requires a little bit more Korean knowledge than the others. Painting a picture of forest creatures, the soothing melody and lyrics make for an interesting and easy Korean song to sing. Enjoy this song, with the beautiful video!
How Music Helps You Learn Korean
Music is an excellent language-learning resource. Beyond its cultural importance (and those sweet Jams), there are also linguistic aspects that will benefit your studies. Here are a few:
- Rhythm: Every language has its own rhythm. Discovering what that’s like is the key to foreign language fluency. Songs can aid that quickly. By focusing on the rhythm and groove of the song, you can get a feel for the tempo of the language itself.
- Pronunciation: Korean pronunciation can be tricky sometimes. Despite the melody, the speech of the words remains the same. And by choosing easy Korean songs to sing, you’ll learn how to practice your pronunciation effortlessly
- Repetition: Spaced repetition systems are crucial for language learning success. Luckily, you won’t even notice you’re using them when you sing Korean songs. Once you learn a song and have it stuck in your head, singing it often will keep the spaced repetition going. And that will help you remember new words and phrases.
The Best Way to Learn Korean with Easy Songs to Sing
Whether you’re learning Korean with K-pop songs or children’s tunes, you need to be confident with grammar. And it’s important to have a basic understanding of the language first. Learning Hangul and confidently reading will help you understand the lyrics easier. But there’s more you can do.
Follow these steps to enhance your studies when singing along to easy Korean songs:
- Enjoy the music: As always, learning a language is about having fun. If you find joy in singing these tunes, you’ll enhance your Korean learning success.
- Read the lyrics: Reading the lyrics while listening to the songs can help you remember them better. Soon, you’ll be able to recite them by heart.
- Understand the meaning: If you find vocabulary that you’re not familiar with, look up the meaning. You’ll only progress if you understand what the context of the material is. This language learning theory is called comprehensible input, and it can help you in other aspects of your language learning journey too.
- Sing along: Listening is one thing. But to learn how to speak Korean, you need to use the sounds of the language. So feel free to sing those catchy songs! It doesn’t matter how off-key you are, as long as you practice. Perhaps you can try Karaoke next?
Learn Korean with More Than Easy Songs
Children’s songs are a wonderful resource for learning Korean. They are easy to sing and follow. They are also culturally relevant, as most Korean people will know the lyrics to these. However, you need more to learn Korean successfully.
You need scientifically proven language learning methods. Fun and enjoyable lessons. And cultural insights to know how the locals speak. All of this can be found at OptiLingo. Our platform focuses on high-frequency phrases, so you know how real Koreans speak. Each lesson uses comprehensible input with spaced repetition systems, to help you maximize your language learning success. Eager to speak Korean?
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