Korean Kids Song Sunday: Korean Alphabet to the tune of Doe a Dear

Most American children grow up learning the same ABC song (which incidentally has the same tune as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star).   I don't know what is considered the most popular Korean alphabet song (가나다송), but there are a few on you-tube, some which are more simple, some more complex and some with a catchy tune and others that I can't seem to follow.

One of the more complex and fun Korean alphabet songs is this one to the tune of Doe a Deer (from Sound of Music....I love this musical!):




This cute song is featured on an iphone app called Ding Dong Deng - Han-Geul (딩동댕 한글-동물편).

There are free and paid versions of both the iphone app and the ipad app.  The free version allows all the games, matching, writing exercises, etc for only ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ.

Here's the lyrics in hangul to the cute alphabet song where each letter represents a different animal (there are 14 consonants in the Korean alphabet and their are 7 notes in do re mi fa so la ti, so it's a perfect fit!)
ㄱ 기역 멍멍 강아지
ㄴ 니은 잘생긴 너구리
ㄷ 디귿 꾸울꿀 돼지
ㄹ 리을 꽥꽥 오리
ㅁ 미음 영차 물개
ㅂ 비읍 삐약 병아리
ㅅ 시읏 어흥 사자
사이 좋은 동물 친구들

ㅇ 이응 똑똑한 원숭이
ㅈ 지읒 귀여운 다람쥐
ㅊ 치읓 째액짹 참새
ㅋ 키읔 코가 큰 코끼리
ㅌ 티읕 깡총 토끼
ㅍ 피읖 멋있는 펭귄
ㅎ 히읗 뚱뚱한 하마
동물 친구들이 좋아요


Translation in English:
ㄱ woof woof puppy
ㄴ good looking raccoon
ㄷ oink oink pig
ㄹ quack quack duck
ㅁ (strong) sea lion
ㅂ cheep cheep chick
ㅅ roar lion
Animal friends with a good relationship

ㅇ smart monkey
ㅈ cute squirrel
ㅊ cheep cheep sparrow
ㅋ big-nosed elephant
ㅌ hopping rabbit
ㅍ handsome penguin
ㅎ fat hippo
I love my animal friends!

Korean Kids Songs: iphone app: 꼬마송

Every once in a while, I will do an App search for "Korean" or "아이" "우아" "동요" "동화" to see what apps have been newly released.  I'm pretty sure I have most of the free ones and a few of the paid ones.  I'm a klepto like that, but Husband doesn't protest since they're FREE!!!  This is what my "Korean page" of my iphone looked like once upon a time.  I think it's overflowed onto a second page now.

Interestingly, this blog is the landing page for people searching for the cute Korean Number Song (숫자송) which I translated here.  Well, if you want to be able to listen to that song along with the other cute comic songs  (엽기송) that are on you-tube and yahoo!kids Korea.....download this free app:

There are no bells and whistles.  It's just a music player.  But it's got the carrot song, number song, milk song, health song, rice grain song, cucumber song, etc.

You can play the songs while using another application.  Did I mention its free?  Really can't complain about that.

It's good listening for the shower.

Korean Kids Song Sunday: I'm a Little Teapot 작은 주전자예요

"I'm a Little Teapot" is a definite favorite of kids probably due to the easy hand motions.  I'm having trouble finding a you-tube video of the song in Korean. But it is easily found in English.
So, instead, I'm including a page of my favorite Korean kids song book by Samsung Publishers.  This book/CD combo includes 40 songs, its lyrics, sheet music and illustrations of the handmotions.  I have purchased 3 books in this series and a few of their iphone apps too.



Lyrics in English:
I'm a little teapot short and stout
Here is my handle, here is my spout
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout!
Tip me over and pour me out


Lyrics in Korean:
나는 작고 뚱뚱한 주전자
손잡이 있고 주둥이 있죠
보글보글 물이 끊으면
쭉 기울 여따라 주세요


Romanization/Transliteration:
nah-neun jah-ggoh ddoong-ddoong-han joo-jun-ja
sohn-jahb-ee eet-goh joo-doong-ee eet-jyo
boh-geul boh-geul mool-eul ggeu-reu-myun
jjook gee-ool yuh-ddah-rah joo-seh-yoh


Translation: (is pretty similar to the English lyrics..but I guess the Korean teapots just don't steam and shout)
I'm a fat teapot
I have a handle and a spout
When my water starts to boil
Tip and pour me out.


PS: I entered the Lyrics into Google Translate and this is what I got:

I have a small kettle fatHandle and spout'sIf you disconnect the water SpongeBob SquarePantsPlease pay straight yeottara

Where "SpongeBob Square Pants" comes from, I really really don't know. 

iPhone app: 한글루

I've been downloading and testing out a bunch of *free* iPhone apps.  The free version of 한글루 (han-gul loo) is pretty good and from what I can tell, the full paid version would be a great learning tool for kids maybe 3 years old and older.  It's also a great app for adults learning to write hangeul and learning vocabulary.






Swipe the star to the right to start.






The main menu shows 3 options:
1) 한글 쓰기: (han-gul sseu-gee) practice the stroke order for writing han-gul characters.





If you want the entire alphabet (or without adds) you have to buy the full version, which is $3.99.






2) 낱말 쓰기: (naht-mahl sseu-gi) writing vocabulary.






3) 한글게임: (han-guel game): (sorry...no pictures).  For the "game," the audio give you one syllable at a time and you have to pick the right characters to spell out the multi-syllabic vocab word like balloon, camera, chick, etc.  This would actually be good practice for my Korean-learning husband who recognizes the characters and their sounds.

Korean roadtrip

I'm super proud of my husband. We took a 6hr road trip today and I am feeling very accomplished in making progress in Korean language learning.

We got through 2 lessons of Pimsleur Korean (30 minutes each). Yay! Husband can say "I can speak a little Korean" in Korean!!!



We also learned the words to the 3 bears song. It's true!



Lastly, we got through some vocabulary and reading hangul with this Pororo iPhone app. Cute app but Pororos pronunciation is kinda penguinny whacked.