HWAA — (G)I-DLE: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in sync시간은 다 얼어버리고si·ga·neun da eo·reo·beo·ri·goTime has completely frozen overListen to this line with the translationNo sign-upWhat the song is about
“HWAA” by (G)I-DLE is about a woman turning the pain of a frozen, lonely heartbreak into fire so she can leave it behind. They sing of anger as fuel, of burning every memory and lingering resentment until nothing of him remains. Snow and winter give way to flames and finally to a flower, so the song ends in rebirth rather than despair.
Key lines
4 lines from the song in Korean, with how they sound and what they mean. The full line-by-line breakdown lives in the app.
시간은 다 얼어버리고Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): si·ga·neun da eo·reo·beo·ri·go
Meaning: Time has completely frozen over
Words in this line- 시간은si·ga·neuntime
- 다daall
- 얼어버리고eo·reo·beo·ri·gohas completely frozen
Word for word: time-TOPIC all froze-completely-and
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 버리다 after 얼어 isn't its literal sense 'to throw away' — it's an auxiliary marking completeness: time didn't just freeze, it froze irreversibly, for good.
火 타올라 타올라Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): hwa ta·ol·la ta·ol·la
Meaning: Fire — burn, burn
Words in this line- 타올라ta·ol·laburn
- 타올라ta·ol·laburn
Word for word: 火(=hwa, fire) (burn, burn)
Why it doesn't translate word for word: The clumsiness comes from 타올라, a fused verb meaning "burn and rise," repeated for emphasis, with no subject or particle to soften it in English. It simply means the fire keeps blazing higher and higher. Key word: 타올라 (burn/blaze upward).
Yeah, 내 너의 흔적 남지 않게 하리 (yeah, yeah)Listen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): Yeah, nae neo·ui heun·jeok nam·jji an·ke ha·ri ye·ah ye·ah
Meaning: I'll make sure no trace of you remains
Words in this line- 내naemy
- 너의neo·uiyour
- 흔적heun·jeoktrace
- 남지nam·jjiremain
- 않게an·keso that not
- 하리ha·riwill make it so
Word for word: My, your trace not-remain-so will-do
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 흔적 alone just means 'trace', and 남지 않게 하리 is the construction 'to make sure it doesn't remain' with the archaic -리 ending, which sounds like a vow rather than an ordinary future tense (할 거야). Together the line reads as a resolute promise to erase every trace of the past.
아침이 오면 부디 모두 녹을 수 있게 oohListen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): a·chi·mi o·myeon bu·di mo·du no·geul ssu it·kke ooh
Meaning: When morning comes, please let it all melt away, ooh
Words in this line- 아침이a·chi·mimorning
- 오면o·myeonif comes
- 부디bu·diplease
- 모두mo·duall
- 녹을no·geulmelt
- 수ssucan
- 있게it·kkeso that
Word for word: Morning-if comes, please all melt-can-so-that, ooh
Why it doesn't translate word for word: This one is already close to natural English; the only clumsiness is the conditional 면 ("if/when...comes") and the "can...so that" construction from 을 수 있게. It expresses a wish that everything melts away once morning arrives. Key words: 부디 (earnestly hope/please), 녹을 수 있게 (so that it can melt).
Lyrics © their rights holders. “HWAA” — (G)I-DLE. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Mini-lesson: fill in the missing word
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Ask YoonaSong vocabulary
Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가길 | ga·gil | hoping it goes |
| 거둬 | geo·dwo | taking away |
| 꽃피우리라 | kkot·pi·u·ri·ra | will bloom |
| 내리오 | nae·ri·o | I shall bring down |
| 눈이 | nu·ni | snow |
| 덮인 | deo·pin | covered |
| 되찾게 | doe·chat·kke | so as to regain |
| 마음이 | ma·eu·mi | heart |
| 바람이 | ba·ra·mi | wind |
| 봄을 | bo·meul | spring |
| 부는 | bu·neun | blowing |
| 불을 | bu·reul | fire |
| 안고 | an·kko | holding |
| 잃었던 | i·reot·tteon | that was lost |
| 지펴라 | ji·pyeo·ra | kindle |
| 차갑게 | cha·gap·kke | coldly |
| 하얗게 | ha·ya·ke | white |
| 화를 | hwa·reul | anger |
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Questions about “HWAA”
What is “HWAA” by (G)I-DLE about?
“HWAA” by (G)I-DLE is about a woman turning the pain of a frozen, lonely heartbreak into fire so she can leave it behind.
What does “시간은 다 얼어버리고” mean in “HWAA”?
Time has completely frozen over. 버리다 after 얼어 isn't its literal sense 'to throw away' — it's an auxiliary marking completeness: time didn't just freeze, it froze irreversibly, for good.
What does “火 타올라 타올라” mean in “HWAA”?
Fire — burn, burn. The clumsiness comes from 타올라, a fused verb meaning "burn and rise," repeated for emphasis, with no subject or particle to soften it in English.
How do you pronounce “Yeah, 내 너의 흔적 남지 않게 하리 (yeah, yeah)”?
In the song it sounds roughly like “Yeah, nae neo·ui heun·jeok nam·jji an·ke ha·ri ye·ah ye·ah”: that's how it's actually sung by (G)I-DLE, not the textbook romanization.
Where can I see every line of “HWAA” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Yoona goes through all 42 lines word by word, in sync with the song; the first verse is free and needs no sign-up.
Official music video
The video loads from YouTube only when you press play. YouTube ↗
Credits and sources
- Artist
- (G)I-DLE
- Official video
- i-dle (아이들) · YouTube
Lyrics and music belong to their rights holders. This page quotes no more than four lines for commentary; the translations, pronunciation and explanations are written by theIDOL.