하늘
haneul[ha̠nɯɭ]
The Korean word for sky is 하늘 (haneul).
하늘 refers to the atmosphere above a given point, specifically the visible expanse where one sees the sun, moon, stars and clouds.
Meaning: atmosphere above a given point, especially as visible from the surface of the Earth as the place where the sun, moon, stars, and clouds are seen (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
haneul
Did you know?
- In Korean, the 'sky' and 'heaven' are denoted by the same word 하늘, unlike in English where they often represent different concepts.
- The phrase 하늘이 무너진다 literally means 'the sky is falling' and is used to describe a sudden, devastating tragedy.
- The word 하늘 is thought to be related to the Middle Korean verb '하다' (hada), which means 'to be large' or 'to be great'.
Examples in context
- 하늘에 먹구름 잔뜩 꼈넼The sky is covered in black clouds.This example shows how to describe a sky filled with dark clouds using 하늘.Tatoeba #8311690 by ljj, translation #8294709 by Adlib
- 오늘 하늘은 구름이 꼈다.The sky is cloudy today.This example shows how to say the sky is cloudy today using 하늘.Tatoeba #11107488 by intertime, translation #3071532 by sharptoothed
- 하늘이 맑다.The sky is clear.This example shows how to describe a clear sky using 하늘.Tatoeba #11106196 by intertime, translation #433662 by CK
- 비행기가 공중에 떠 있어요The airplane is flying in the sky.
- 오늘 하늘은 맑습니다.Today's sky is clear.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are sitting on a park bench on a beautiful evening.
- 서연 Seo-yeon하늘이 정말 예쁘다.haneuri jeongmal yeppeuda.The sky is really beautiful.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo맞아, 노을이 진짜 멋져.maja, noeuri jinjja meotjyeo.True, the sunset is really cool.
- 서연 Seo-yeon하늘에 별도 보일 것 같아.haneure byeoldo boil geot gata.I think we might see stars in the sky too.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연아, 사진 찍을까?Seoyeon-a, sajin jjigeulkka?Seoyeon, shall we take a photo?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sky” translations and entries 하늘, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 하늘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
