노래

Etymology

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 놀애〮 (Yale: nwòlGáy), from 놀— (Yale: nwǒl-, “to play, to frolic”) + 애 (Yale: -Gay, inanimate agentive suffix), literally "that by which one plays", but never perceived as a compound by modern Korean speakers. Compare similar semantics in Chinese 樂／乐 (“to be joyful, to enjoy; music”).

Cognate with Jeju 놀레 (nolle).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [no̞ɾɛ] ~ [no̞ɾe̞]
• Phonetic hangul: [노래/노레]

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 노래의 / 노래에 / 노래까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the first syllable, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.

Noun

노래 • (norae) (counter 곡(曲))

1. song

   Synonym: (dated or archaic) 소리 (sori)

   노래를 부르다 ― norae-reul bureuda ― to sing a song

   들을수록 좋은 노래 ― deur-eulsurok jo'eun norae ― a song that gets better the more you listen to it

   나는 그 노래의 코드를 땄다. ― Na-neun geu norae-ui kodeu-reul ttatda. ― I figured out the chords of that song just by listening.

2. (figurative) an incessant request, repeated like the refrain of a song

   아들이 치킨 노래를 부른다.

   Adeur-i chikin norae-reul bureunda.

   My son keeps pestering me to buy him fried chicken.

   (literally, “[My] son is singing the fried chicken song.”)