First attested as Late Old Korean 漢 in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사), 1103. First attested in the Bullyu dugongbu si eonhae (分類杜工部詩諺解 / 분류두공부시언해), 1481, as Middle Korean 하〮야ᄒᆞ다〮 (Yale: háyàhòtá).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

하얗다 • (hayata) (irregular, infinitive 하얘, sequential 하야니)

1. white, pure white, pale

   Antonym: 까맣다 (kkamata, “black”)

   그녀는 살이 참 하얗다. ― Geunyeo-neun sar-i cham hayata. ― She is very fair-skinned.

   대지는 서리가 내려 하얗다. ― Daeji-neun seori-ga naeryeo hayata. ― The ground is white with frost.

2. in swarms, in crowds, in flocks

   하얗게 몰려들다 ― hayake mollyeodeulda ― gathering in a crowd

3. (staying up) all night

   우리는 하얗게 밤을 지새우고 함께 해가 뜨는 것을 지켜보았다.

   Uri-neun hayake bam-eul jisae'ugo hamkke hae-ga tteuneun geos-eul jikyeoboatda.

   We stayed up all night and watched the sun rise together.