Music in Korean: Korean Words You’ll Hear At The 2025 MAMA Awards

The much-awaited MAMA Awards is almost here, and you can probably feel that familiar mix of curiosity and excitement building up. It’s also a great moment to learn a few Korean words tied to music since the whole world will be talking about performances, songs, and artists anyway. Imagine being able to chat about your favorite track in Korean, explain the kind of music you like, or even understand a little of what idols say when they take the mic.

The thing is...watching the awards night can help your Korean more than you might expect. The performances, the short interviews, the casual moments between categories all give you Korean the way people actually use it. You get to hear natural phrases without forcing yourself to study. Let the show play out and let your ears catch the words that keep coming up.

What Is The MAMA Awards About?

When: November 28 to 29, 2025
Where: Hong Kong, at the Kai Tak Stadium
Theme: The 2025 edition uses the concept slogan “UH-HEUNG,” tying in Korean spirit of energy and joy

The MAMA Awards is one of the largest annual music events in South Korea and is organized by Mnet, a major Korean music and entertainment channel. The show recognizes achievements in K-pop and Asian music across categories like Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and more. It also features special stages, big collaborations, and performances that are often talked about for months.

The purpose of the MAMA Awards is to celebrate the year’s most influential music and highlight how far Korean and Asian artists have reached globally. It combines public voting, professional judges, and streaming data to decide most of its winners, which gives fans a sense of participation while still keeping industry input.

Korean Phrases You’ll Hear During Acceptance Speeches

Acceptance speeches at the MAMA Awards often follow a familiar pattern, so learning a few common phrases will help you follow along even without subtitles. Artists usually thank their fans, their team, and the people who helped them prepare for the year. They also talk about how grateful they are for the award and how they hope to grow. These phrases repeat across almost every speech, which makes them great practice for learners.

Common Fan Terms Used During Award Shows

Fans have their own set of words that come up on social media, live chats, and fan communities during events like MAMA. These phrases help describe excitement, support, schedules, and big moments. Knowing them makes it easier to follow conversations online and understand what people are saying in real time as the show unfolds.

How to Say Music in Korean

The most common way to say music in Korean is 음악 pronounced eumak. This word works for both general and specific uses the way “music” does in English. You can use it when talking about the kind of music you like, the music someone is playing, or the music industry as a whole.

Just note that in the Korean language, we do not mark plural nouns the same way English does, so 음악 can mean “music” or “songs” depending on the context. If you want to refer to an individual song, you say 노래 pronounced norae. Think of 음악 as the broader category and 노래 as the individual pieces within it.

Example sentences

• 음악 좋아해요
  eumak johahaeyo
  I like music.
• 저는 한국 음악을 자주 들어요
  jeoneun hanguk eumageul jaju deureoyo
  I often listen to Korean music.
• 이 음악 너무 편안해요
  i eumak neomu pyeonanhaeyo
  This music is so calming.
• 좋은 노래 추천해 줄래요
  joeun norae chucheonhae jullaeyo
  Can you recommend a good song.
• 여러 종류의 음악을 들어요
  yeoreo jongnyuui eumageul deureoyo
  I listen to many types of music.
• 저는 음악 만드는 걸 좋아해요
  jeoneun eumak mandeuneun geol johahaeyo
  I like making music.

Genre in Korean

The word genre in Korean is 장르 pronounced jangneu. It’s a Konglish term borrowed from the English word “genre,” and Korean speakers use it the same way English speakers do. You can use 장르 to talk about the type of music you like, the kind of songs you listen to, or even a musician’s style.

How to ask someone’s favorite genre

• 좋아하는 장르가 뭐예요
  What’s your favorite genre
• 어떤 장르 자주 들어요
  What genre do you listen to often
• 가장 좋아하는 음악 장르가 뭐예요
  What’s your top music genre

If you want to answer, simply complete this "저는 ___ 장르 좋아해요" or jeoneun ___ jangleu johahaeyo. You can choose the best genre form the table below.

Musical Instruments in Korean

Talking about musical instruments in Korean is straightforward because most of the words are either purely Korean or easy loanwords from English. The general term for musical instrument is 악기 pronounced akki. If you want to say I play an instrument you can say 악기 연주해요 pronounced akki yeonjoohaeyo.

Other Popular Korean Words Related to Music

Korean has a lot of everyday music words that show up in songs, interviews, award shows, and fan conversations. Learning these helps you follow what idols are saying and gives you a better sense of how people naturally talk about music.

Ready To Rock Your Body?

The MAMA Awards brings together some of the biggest moments in Korean music, and it’s the perfect chance to take in the performances while picking up real Korean along the way. When you hear idols talk about their music, their genres, or their journey, you’ll start noticing many of the words you just learned.

If you want to keep building on that and learn Korean in a way that feels easy and familiar, you can dive into shows, movies, and clips on Lingopie. It’s a relaxed way to get used to how Korean sounds in everyday situations while enjoying the same culture that makes events like MAMA so loved. Give it a try now!