Arirang Lyrics - Korean, English, Romanization

There are many versions of the Arirang. Here are the lyrics to the commonly known one:

Korean
아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요...
아리랑 고개로 넘어간다.
나를 버리고 가시는 님은
십리도 못가서 발병난다.

Romanization
Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...
Arirang gogaero neomeoganda.
Nareul beorigo gasineun nimeun
Simnido motgaseo balbbyeongnanda.

English
Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...
Crossing over Arirang Pass.
The one who abandoned me
Shall not walk even 4 kilometers before their feet hurt.

Hear me sing Arirang at 0:35 in KWOW #112 (above).

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5 Versions of Korea's "Arirang"

As we learned in KWOW #112, Arirang is Korea's popular folk song. Every region has their own version. The "standard version" is the Seoul Arirang. Every generation sings it with a different vibe depending on their historical experiences in Korea. The following are the diverse ways Arirang is sung.

The Seoul Arirang, also known as as Gyeonggi Arirang, performed by ladies in hanbok (traditional costume):

Arirang sung by North Korean singer Ri Kyong Suk:

As seen on "I am a Singer," here's the Kpop-ified version of Arirang by Yoon Min-soo:

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra performing Arirang in North Korea:

The jazz version of Jeongsun Arirang (정선 아리랑) by Na Yoon-sun (나윤선):

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Korean Lesson 1: Pronounce the Alphabet

Learn how to pronounce the Korean alphabet with Professor Oh:

The 14 Korean consonants paired with the vowel ㅏ(ah)

1. 가 (gah) = It may sound like a K, but there is another Korean consonant that has a stronger K sound (ㅋ). Think of ㄱ as a soft G sound.
2. 나 (nah) = So easy that it's amazing.
3. 다 (dah) = Might sound like "tah," however the ㅌ consonant has a stronger T pronunciation. Think of ㄷ as a soft D.
4. 라 (lah) = The ㄹ consonant has a rolling L sound. It may sound like an R, however Koreans do not have a consonant that is a 100% R equivalent. Thus if a native Korean says, "Rock and roll," it'll sound more like "Lock and Loll." Note: in some cases when paired with other characters, 라 (lah) has a crisp L sound without the roll. i.e. 몰라 (molla) and 몰라 (ramyeon).
5. 마 (mah) = Here's a simple one. Sounds like the second "ma" in "mama."
6. 바 (bah) = It may sound like a P, but there is another Korean consonant with a stronger P sound (ㅍ). Think of ㅂ as a soft B sound.
7. 사 (sah) = Another epically simple one. Did you know 사 means the number "four"?
8. 아 (ah) = The ㅇ consonant, which looks like a circle, is silent. However when paired with other characters, the ㅇ consonant can take the sound of a previous consonant.
9. 자 (jah) = Might sound like "cha," however the ㅊ Korean consonant has a stronger "ch" pronunciation. Think of ㅈ as a soft J sound.
10. 차 (cha) = Pronounced the same as the Cuban dance "Cha Cha." Did you know 차 can mean "tea" and "car"? No? Now you do!
11. 카 (kah) = Yes. An easier one to pronounce.
12. 타 (tah) = Happy birthday. Another simple one!
13. 파 (pah) = Guess what? 파 means "spring onion."
14. 하 (hah) = Pronounced the same as the "ha" when someone laughs "hahaha."

The 10 vowels paired with the silent consonant "ㅇ"

1. 아 (ah)
2. 야 (yah)
3. 어 (uh)
4. 여 (yuh)
5. 오 (oh)
6. 요 (yoh)
7. 우 (ooh)
8. 유 (you)
9. 으 (euh)
10. 이 (e)

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