5 of the Best KPop Songs to Help You Learn Korean

What makes us fall in love with KPop? Is it the aesthetics, the mesmerizing performances, or is it the lyrics? If you’re learning Korean, then there’s a good chance you’ve come across KPop at some point. KPop is a good way to not only learn more about Korean pop culture, but also a good way to learn a few new phrases. In today’s post, I’ve chosen 5 of the best Kpop songs with the catchiest lyrics to help you with your studies.
Let’s go!

TT by Twice

I’m like TT/이런 내 맘 모르고 너무해

I’m like TT/E-run nae maum mo-ru-go nuh-moo-hae

I’m like TT (crying/sad)/You don’t even know how I’m feeling, I’m so sad

Twice’s TT tells us the story of a girl whose heart is broken because the boy she likes doesn’t acknowledge her love for him. ‘TT’ is a commonly used emoticon among Koreans that means ‘sad’, as the letters look like a crying face.
Twice is a girl group composed of 9 members formed by JYP Entertainment. They made their first debut through the 2015 reality show Sixteen. Their biggest hits include Cheer Up, Knock Knock, and What is Love.

DNA by BTS

이 모든 건 우연이 아니니까/운명을 찾아낸 둘이니까

[E-mo-dun-gun woo-yun-e a-ni-ni-kka/Woon-myung-ul cha-ja-nen dool-e-ni-kka]

None of this is a coincidence/The two of us found our destiny

 
BTS made their debut on the Billboard’s Top 100 chart with DNA in 2017. The lyrics talk about two lovers who are strongly attracted to each other, as though their love was predestined in their DNA. The lyrics are reflected in their performance as well, where many parts of the choreography signifies this ‘link’ that connects the two lovers.

BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan or Bangtan Boys) is a boy band of 7 members who arrived at the Kpop scene in 2013. Their popularity has grown globally and since their debut, they’ve appeared on famous American TV shows such as The Ellen Show, and have collaborated with famous artists including Steve Aoki and Nicki Minaj.

빨간 맛 [Bbal-gan Mot] (Red Flavor) by Red Velvet

빨간 맛 궁금해 honey/내가 제일 좋아하는 건 여름 그 맛

Bbal-gan mot goong-gum-hae honey/Nae-ga jae-il jo-ah-ha-nun gun yuh-rum gu-mot

I wonder what the red flavor tastes like, honey/My favorite is the flavor of the summer

 
What does summer taste like? Red velvet’s Red Flavor is about everything that is sweet and red about summer and is a great song for a sunny day.
Red Velvet debuted in 2014 with their single Happiness. Other hits from the band include; Dumb Dumb, Russian Roulette, and Power Up.

마지막처럼 [Ma-ji-mak chuh-rum] (As If It’s Your Last) by Blackpink

마지막처럼 마지막 밤인 것처럼/마지막처럼 내일 따윈 없는 것처럼

Ma-ji-mak chuh-rum Ma-ji-mak bam-in gut-chuh-rum/Ma-ji-mak chuh-rum Nae-il tta-win up-nun gut-chuh-rum

As if it’s your last, as if it’s your last night/As if it’s your last, as if there is no tomorrow

 
This song by Blackpink is about loving someone as if it’s your last shot. The song’s lyrics sing about passion and not having any regrets.
Blackpink consists of 4 girls and debuted in 2016 with their first single Whistle, which shot up to 1st place in the Korean music charts upon its release. Their follow-up singles have been huge hits as well, including Boombayah, Playing with Fire, and Ddu Du Ddu Du.

뿜뿜 [Bboom Bboom] by Momoland

내 머리부터 뿜뿜/내 발끝까지 뿜뿜

Nae muh-ri-boo-tuh bboom-bboom/Nae bal-kkut-kka-ji bboom-bboom

From my head, bboom-bboom/To my toe, bboom-bboom

Bboom Bboom is an onomatopoeia in Korean that means ‘sending out’. The song’s lyrics revolve around ‘a person who is sending out charm and love’ and talks about a girl who wants to send her charm and love to a boy.
Momoland made their debut through the 2016 reality show Finding Momoland. They started out with 7 members but have since added 2 new members.

The Best KPop Songs You Can Find and LingQ

Reading and memorizing this list of my best Kpop songs probably isn’t enough, that’s why I suggest using LingQ which allows you to import Kpop lyrics and creates lessons out of them. Not only that, but if you have songs that you wish to study with, go ahead and import them. you can grab the lyrics at Genius or a number of KPop sites.
LingQ allows you to store the lyrics, translations, and audio into one spot which helps you stay organized. LingQ is available for desktop as well as Android and iOS so you can study on the go anytime, anywhere. Gain access to thousands of hours of audio and transcripts and begin your journey to fluency today.
Good luck.

***

Julie Yoon has been teaching Korean and English in formal and informal settings for ten years. She has been learning French as a third language.