라
ra[ɾa̠]
라 (ra) is the Korean word for the sixth note of a major scale, known as 'la' in English.
This noun refers specifically to the musical note 'la' within a major scale.
Meaning: sixth note of a major scale (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ra.
Did you know?
- Because of the way Korean handles sounds at the beginning of words, the syllable 라 (ra) might actually be pronounced as 나 (na) if it is the first syllable of a word in certain South Korean contexts.
- While the syllable 라 (ra) might shift to a 'na' sound in the South, North Koreans strictly maintain the 'ra' pronunciation regardless of where it appears in a word.
- The syllable 라 (ra) serves a dual purpose as a modern musical note borrowed from European systems and as a reading for many ancient Chinese characters.
Examples in context
- 이 곡은 라 음이 높아요.i gogeun ra eum-i nop-ayo.In this song, the note la is high.
- 라 음을 한 번 더 쳐보세요.ra eum-eul han beon deo chyeo-bo-se-yo.Please play the note la one more time.
- 도, 레, 미, 파, 솔, 라, 시.do, re, mi, fa, sol, ra, si.Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si.
Example conversation
Two students are practicing music together.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo민지 씨, 지금 어떤 음을 치고 있어요?Minji ssi, jigeum eotteon eum-eul chigo isseoyo?Minji, what note are you playing right now?
- 민지 Min-ji지금은 라를 연주하고 있어요.jigeumeun rareul yeonjuhago isseoyo.I am playing la right now.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그다음 음은 무엇인가요?geudaum eum-eun mueosingayo?What is the next note?
- 민지 Min-ji다음은 시예요.daeumeun siyeyo.The next one is ti.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “la” translations and entries 라, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
