Korean Words for Using a Coin Karaoke Room

Level

Type

Guide

Theme

Daily Life

작성자

Yanghwa

작성시각

Jun 12, 2026 9:55 AM

A Korean coin karaoke room can look tiny from the outside, but it is one of the easiest places to have fun for a few thousand won. You choose a small private room, pay for songs or time, pick a song, and sing with friends.

If you are learning Korean, the machine can feel like a puzzle at first. There are buttons, numbers, remote controls, microphones, and Korean words on the screen. Once you know the main words, the whole room becomes much easier to use.

Before you start singing

Coin karaoke is usually called 코인노래방 or 코노 for short. Some places charge by song, and some charge by time. You may pay at a kiosk, at the machine inside the room, or at a front counter.

Korean	Pronunciation	Meaning	What it tells you
코인노래방	koin noraebang	coin karaoke room	the type of place
방	bang	room	your karaoke room
인원	inwon	number of people	how many people are entering
시간	sigan	time	time-based use
곡	gok	song	song-based use
결제	gyeolje	payment	payment step
시작	sijak	start	begin using the room

If you see 2곡, it means two songs. If you see 30분, it means 30 minutes. Many coin karaoke rooms show both options, so check whether you are buying songs or time before paying.

Words on the machine and remote

Inside the room, you usually use a touchscreen or remote control to search for songs and manage the music. The most important word is 예약, because that is how you add a song to the queue.

Korean	Pronunciation	Meaning
노래 검색	norae geomsaek	song search
제목	jemok	title
가수	gasu	singer
예약	yeyak	reserve / add to queue
예약 취소	yeyak chwiso	cancel reserved song
시작	sijak	start
정지	jeongji	stop
일시정지	ilsi jeongji	pause

예약 can be confusing because it also means "reservation" in restaurants or hotels. In karaoke, it usually means adding a song to the waiting list. If you choose a song and press 예약, it will play after the current song.

Sound and singing controls

Korean karaoke machines let you change the key, volume, echo, and sometimes tempo. If the song feels too high or too low, look for key controls.

Korean	Pronunciation	Meaning
음량	eum-nyang	volume
마이크	maikeu	microphone
반주	banju	instrumental track / accompaniment
에코	eko	echo
키	ki	key / pitch
올림	ollim	raise
내림	naerim	lower
빠르게	ppareuge	faster
느리게	neurige	slower

For beginners, 마이크 음량 and 반주 음량 are the most useful. 마이크 음량 changes your microphone volume. 반주 음량 changes the music volume.

Useful phrases with staff or friends

Many coin karaoke rooms are self-service, but you may still talk to staff if payment does not work or if the microphone has a problem. With friends, simple Korean phrases make the experience more natural.

Korean	Pronunciation	Meaning
몇 분이에요?	myeot bunieyo?	How many minutes is it?
몇 곡이에요?	myeot gogieyo?	How many songs is it?
마이크가 안 돼요.	maikeu-ga an dwaeyo.	The microphone is not working.
결제가 안 됐어요.	gyeolje-ga an dwaesseoyo.	The payment did not go through.
이 노래 예약할게요.	i norae yeyak-halgeyo.	I will add this song to the queue.
다음 노래 뭐 부를까요?	daeum norae mwo bureulkkayo?	What should we sing next?

If you are with Korean friends, 이 노래 예약할게요 sounds natural when you are taking charge of the remote. It is polite but casual enough for a friendly setting.

A quick etiquette note

Coin karaoke rooms are private, but they are not completely soundproof. It is normal to sing loudly, but avoid screaming in the hallway or leaving the door open while singing. If people are waiting outside, try to leave the room soon after your time or songs are finished.

Also, check the room before you leave. People often forget phones, wallets, earbuds, or photo cards near the machine or sofa.

Your Coin Karaoke Button Set

For your first visit, focus on five words: 곡, 시간, 결제, 노래 검색, and 예약.

Those five words help you pay, understand what you bought, find a song, and add it to the queue. After that, the rest is just choosing a song brave enough for your mood.

A coin karaoke room is a small place, but it gives you a very real Korean moment: friends arguing over the next song, someone raising the key too high, and everyone laughing before the chorus starts.

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