How to Ask About a Song in Korean

You hear a song and want to find it later. Start with 이 노래 제목이 뭐예요? — “What’s the title of this song?” Then, if you like it, say 이 노래 좋아해요 — “I like this song.”

Our culture guide to BTS’s ARIRANG distinguishes an album, a song and a traditional version. This lesson turns that distinction into a small conversation skill: asking exactly what you want to know about music.

Read the published Arirang culture guide for the difference between a song title, a regional tradition and a particular recording. The examples here teach conversation; they do not quote a performer.

All examples below are original teaching dialogues. They are not lyrics, artist quotations or scenes taken from a programme.

1. Ask for the title

이 노래 제목이 뭐예요?
What’s the title of this song?

The useful pieces are 이 (this), 노래 (song), 제목 (title) and 뭐예요? (what is it?). You can learn the whole question before analysing every particle.

A shorter question is 이 노래 뭐예요? — “What’s this song?” Adding 제목 makes it clear that you want its title.

Original example: identifying a song

A: 이 노래 제목이 뭐예요?
What’s the title of this song?
B: 아리랑이에요.
It’s Arirang.

The answer names the song. It does not identify a particular regional version or recording. If those details matter, ask another question rather than assuming the title answers everything.

2. Ask who sings it

누가 불러요?
Who sings it?

Here, 누가 asks “who,” and 불러요 means “sings” in this context. Once the song is understood, you do not have to repeat “this song” in every sentence.

Original example: a fictional music conversation

A: 이 노래 누가 불러요?
Who sings this song?
B: 지수가 불러요.
Jisu sings it.

Jisu is a fictional person in this example. This dialogue makes no claim about a real artist or recording.

3. Say that you like it

이 노래 좋아해요.
I like this song.

This is a useful conversational form. The object particle is often omitted in speech; the fuller version is 이 노래를 좋아해요. When the conversation makes it clear that you are talking about your own preference, you can omit “I” as well.

Original example: sharing your response

A: 저는 이 노래 좋아해요.
I like this song.
B: 저도 좋아해요.
I like it too.

저도 means “me too” or “I too” here. You are responding to the other person’s preference without repeating the full sentence.

Keep the conversation polite

The -요 endings in these examples make a useful polite starting point when speaking with someone you do not know well. A relationship and situation can call for a different speech level, so hearing a shorter form in a performance or clip does not make it the right choice everywhere.

For more context, read how Korean honorifics connect to relationships. If the particles are distracting you, our beginner guide to Korean particles explains their role.

Try the same question with food

After reading our tteokkochi guide for two, practise naming the food. Use 이름 (name) for a dish; 제목 is the title of a song, book or similar work.

Original example: a fictional snack conversation

A: 이 음식 이름이 뭐예요?
What is this food called?
B: 떡꼬치예요.
It is tteokkochi.

This example names the dish; it does not mean the speakers cooked or tasted it. The food guide describes a source-based recipe adaptation and clearly labelled AI illustrations.

Practise one small exchange

1. You hear an unfamiliar song. Ask for its title.
2. You already know the title. Ask who sings it.
3. A friend says they like the song. Say you like it too.
4. Which question specifically asks for a title: 제목이 뭐예요? or 누가 불러요?
5. You see an unfamiliar dish. Ask its name using 음식 and 이름.

Suggested answers

1. 이 노래 제목이 뭐예요?
2. 누가 불러요? / 이 노래 누가 불러요?
3. 저도 좋아해요.
4. 제목이 뭐예요? The other question asks who sings it.
5. 이 음식 이름이 뭐예요?

Now practise the questions with a song you can identify reliably. Say the title, ask about the performer, and give your own reaction. You are building a reusable conversation rather than memorising a celebrity’s words.

References

• Academy of Korean Studies: Arirang, read September 26, 2026. Supports the cultural context of a traditional folk song with multiple regional forms; it is not the source of our original dialogues.
• KoreanESY: Arirang culture guide, KES-2026-018, published September 23, 2026. Parent culture article; publication receipt verified.
• KoreanESY: Tteokkochi for two, KES-2026-034, published September 26, 2026. Parent food guide for the naming exercise; publication receipt verified.
• KoreanESY: Korean honorifics and relationships and beginner Korean particles, supplementary lessons. All dialogues, translations, exercises and answers above are original teaching material.