노래하다
noraehada[no̞ɾɛɦa̠da̠]
To sing in Korean is 노래하다 (noraehada).
노래하다 is the most common and neutral way to express the act of singing in Korean.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb is composed of the noun 노래, which means 'song' and the verb 하다, which means 'to do'.
How does it change in a sentence?
While 노래하다 is a general verb for 'to sing', the phrase 노래를 부르다 is frequently used when specifically referring to the act of performing a particular song.
How do you pronounce it?
noraehada
Did you know?
- Korean has a specific word, 추임새, for the rhythmic shouts and encouragements the audience makes to the singer during a performance to keep the energy high.
- In traditional Korean music, singing is often linked to pansori, a genre where a single singer tells a long story using a unique, husky vocal technique that sounds more like chanting than Western singing.
- While 노래하다 is the general verb, the phrase 노래를 부르다 literally means 'to call a song', using the verb for 'calling' or 'summoning' instead of 'doing'.
Examples in context
- 노래하실 수 있나요?Can you sing?
- 노래하셨어요?Did you sing?
- 노래할래?Do you want to sing?
- 노래했어.I sang.
- 노래 불러봐Sing a song
- 내일 친구들과 노래방에 가서 노래할 거야.I'm going to the karaoke with my friends to sing tomorrow.
- 노래 좋아해?Do you like singing?
- 친구들과 함께 노래 불러볼까?Shall we sing together with friends?
- 노래 연습을 얼마나 많이 하셨나요?How much have you practiced singing?
- 이 노래를 누가 불렀어요?Who sang this song?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 노래하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
