Korean Dictionary
How to say "Traditional music" in Korean
“Traditional music” in Korean is 국악 (pronounced "Gugak").
국악
Gugak
Usage & Context
Korea's traditional music forms, including court music, folk music, and ritual music. Instruments include haegeum (해금, Korean fiddle), gayageum (가야금, Korean zither), and daegeum (대금, Korean flute). Gugak is experiencing a creative revival with fusion projects blending traditional and contemporary styles.
Example Sentence
국악과 K팝을 융합한 음악이 요즘 인기예요.
Music that fuses gugak and K-pop is popular these days.
How to use 국악 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Traditional music” is 국악, romanized as Gugak.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 국악.
Pronunciation Guide
국악 (Gugak) sounds like "goo-guk." "Goo" is like in 'goose,' and "guk" is like 'gook' but with a softer 'g' and a silent, unreleased 'k' at the end, making it a quick stop.
More Example Sentences
Attending a cultural event at a specific venue.
국악 공연을 보러 국립국악원에 갔어요.
I went to the National Gugak Center to see a gugak performance.
Discussing contemporary trends in traditional music.
요즘 젊은 국악인들이 퓨전 국악을 많이 시도하고 있어요.
Young gugak musicians these days are trying a lot of fusion gugak.
Describing the essence and cultural significance of gugak.
국악은 한국인의 정서가 담겨 있는 음악이에요.
Gugak is music that contains the emotions of Koreans.
Cultural Context
국악 (gugak) refers to Korea's traditional music, encompassing various forms from court music to folk songs. Instruments like the haegeum (해금), gayageum (가야금), and daegeum (대금) are central to its unique sound. In recent years, gugak has seen a vibrant revival, particularly through 'fusion gugak' projects that blend traditional melodies and instruments with modern genres like K-pop. This modernization has introduced gugak to a wider, younger audience, making it a dynamic part of contemporary Korean culture, often featured in historical K-dramas or special performances.
Editorial note
We review entries like 국악 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
국악을 배우다.
Learn gugak.
국악 공연.
Gugak performance.
국악의 아름다움.
The beauty of gugak.
Related Expressions
판소리
pansori
traditional Korean narrative singing
민요
minyo
folk song
사물놀이
samullori
traditional percussion quartet
퓨전 국악
pyujeon gugak
fusion gugak
More Culture Words
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