Learn Hawaiian

Aloha kakou! E komo mai!

Here you'll find all the Hawaiian words and phrases that we learn on my weekday morning periscopes.

There are two important diacritical markings in the Hawaiian language that can change the meaning of a word. (My laptop does not have the Hawaiian keyboard).
 - The 'okina (a backwards apostrophe) is a glottal stop...a break in the pronounciation:
   kai (kye) vs. ka'i (ka-ee)
 - The kakakŌ is a macron which elongates the sound of the vowel it is over.

1. mauka | towards the mountain, upward
   makai | towards the ocean, seaward
   example: Head mauka on Queen street for half a mile.
2. Hau'oli la hanau | Happy Birthday
   hau'oli (happy, glad, joy)
   la (day, date)
   hanau (to give birth, lay an egg)
3. E komo mai | come in, enter (welcome!)
   E kipa mai | come visit
4. maika'i | good
   ho'omaika'i | congratulations
5. malama | take care of
   example: E malama pono (take good care)
   example: Malama ka aina. (take care of the land)
6. pau ka hana | work is finished, quitting time, after work
   pau (done, finished)
   ka (is)
   hana (work)
   example: What time you pau work? Let's meet up for pau hana drinks!
7. kuleana | right, privilege, responsibility
   It's our kuleana as Hawaiians to preserve the culture and perpetuate the language.
8. family | ohana
   k
   ā
   ne | man
   wahine | woman
   keiki | child
   kupuna/kūpuna | grandparent/grandparents
9. O wai kou inoa? | What is your name?
   O [name] ko'u inoa. | My name is [_____].
   example: O Rebecca ko'u inoa.
10. No hea mai 'oe? | Where are you from?
    No [ Hawai'i ] mai au. | I am from Hawaii.
11. E kala mai ia'u | Excuse me, pardon me, i'm sorry
    kala mai (informal)
12. Aloha Kakahiaka | Good morning
    Aloha 'Auniala | Good afternoon
    Aloha Ahiahi | Good evening
13. 'ae | yes
    'a'ole | no
    'a'ole maika'i | no good
    example: Are you ready for the weekend? 'Ae!
    example: Are you ready for Monday? 'A'ole!
14. 'a'ole pilikia | no problem
    example: (in response to someone who says, "Mahalo for helping us tonite!")
                  'A'ole pilikia...it was the least I could do!
15. E pule kakou | Let's pray
16. kumu | teacher
    haumana/haumāna | student/students
    example: Both kumu and haumāna will be on vacation next week.
17. hānai | to raise, nourish, sustain; also foster child, adopted
    hānai holoholona | to care for domestic animals
    example: Kimo is our hanai son.
    example: The Smiths are my hanai family; they raised me since I was five.
18. hāpai | to be pregnant, to carry
    example: Did you hear? Lani is hapai again!
19. alaka'i | lead, leader
    example: John will be our alaka'i for today's excursion.
20. hō'ike | show, exhibit
    example: Tomorrow we'll be setting up the stage for hō'ike.
    example: Many haumāna will be performing in this afternoon's hō'ike.
21. hana hou | one more time, encore, repeat again
    example: after the last song at a concert, one might say, "hana hou!"
22. makua/
    ākua | parent/parents
    makuahine | mother
    makuakane | father
23. kama'aina | long time resident, familiar with area, host
    malihini | visitor, newcomer
    example: During our stay in Hawaii, the kama'aina were very welcoming to the malihini.
    
    COUNTING
24. (1) 'ekahi
    (2) 'elua
    (3) 'ekolu
    (4) 'ehā
25. (5) 'elima
    (6) 'eono
    (7) 'ehuku
    (8) 'ewalu
26. (9) 'eiwa
    (10) 'umi
    (0) 'ole
27. I hopena pule maika'i | Have a good weekend!
    
    DAYS OF THE WEEK
28. po'akahi | Monday
29. po'alua | Tuesday
30. po'akolu | Wednesday
31. po'aha | Thursday
    po'alima | Friday
    po'aono | Saturday
32. pehea 'oe? | how are you? (singular)
    pehea oukou? | how are you? (plural)
    response: Maika'i no, mahalo. (I'm good, thanks.)
33. mahina | moon
    
    PARTS OF THE BODY - watch video here
34. po'o | head
35. maka | eyes
36. ihu | nose
    waha | mouth
37. pepeiao | ear
38. lima | hand
    manamana lima | fingers
39. kuli | knees
40. wawae | feet
    manamana wawae | toes
41. [me ku'u] po'ohiwi | shoulders
42. piko | belly button
43. ha'awina | lesson
    example: Last week's ha'awina was learning body parts.
44. akamai | smart
45. hele | go, move
46. kōkua | help
    example: I need your kōkua with this weekend's fundraiser.
47. ikaika | strong
    example: The men in my family are ikaika.
48. ku'uipo | sweetheart
    example: I can't wait to get home and spend time with my ku'uipo.
49. kapu | forbidden, do not enter
    example: The third floor of this building is kapu.
50. pupu | snack, appetizer
    example: After work, let's grab some pau hana drinks and pupus and that new restaurant.
51. hale | house
    example: Come over to my hale for some pupus after work.
52. Happy New Year | Hau'oli Makahiki Hou
53. Ianuali | January
    
    ANIMALS
54. nai'a| dolphin
55. honu | turtle
56. 'ilio | dog
57. 'opae | shrimp
58. popoki | cat
59. manō | shark
60. pua'a | pig
61. manu | bird
62. mo'o | lizard
63. pueo | owl
64. lio | horse
65. i'a | fish
    
    COLORS
66. 'ula'ula | red
67. melemele | yellow
68. oma'oma'o | green
69. uliuli | blue
    ke'oke'o | white
    'ele'ele | black
    poni | purple
70. 'alani | orange
    
    FEELINGS/EMOTIONS
71. mino'aka | smile
72. 'aka'aka | laugh
73. 'ue (kahako over the 'e') | cry
    example: mai 'uwe 'oe (don't cry)
74. maluhiluhi | tired
    example: Maluhiluhi au. (I'm tired)
75. huhu (kahako over the second 'u')| angry, to be mad
    
    NATURE
76. wailele | waterfall
77. mauna | mountain
78. kumulā'au | tree
79. ahi | fire
80. ao | clouds
    
    TRAVEL / VEGAS
81. pili | bet
82. piliwaiwai | gamble
83. hōkele | hotel
84. mokulele | airplane
85. ha'upoho | parchute
86. ho'oku'i | crash
87. pailaka | pilot
    
    QUESTION & RESPONSES
88. Pehea 'oe? | How are you?
89. maluhiluhi au. | I'm tired.
90. pōloli au. | i'm hungry.
91. maika'i no, mahalo. | i'm good, thanks.
92. make wai au | i'm thirsty.
    
    SIMPLE SENTENCE: VERB + ARTICLE + SUBJECT
    _______ + ka (the) + wahine (woman)
    The woman is ________.
93. u'i | pretty/beautiful (used when describing people)
94. nani | pretty/beautiful (used when describing objects)
95. pupuka | ugly
96. pōkole | short
97. lō'ihi | tall
98. ikaika | strong
99. ha'aheo | proud
100. akamai | smart
101. moloa | lazy
102. palaoa palai | pancake
103. lokomaika'i | generous
104. ho'oma'ama'a | practice
105. moe | sleepmoe'uhane | dream
106. moehewa | nightmare
107. pilikua nui | monster
108. lua | bathroom-toilet
109. lehua kahiki | clover
110. hele wāwae mamao | hike
111. 'au | swim
     'au'au | bathe
112. 'ai | eat
     mea 'ai | food
113. nanea | interesting, leisure
     ho'onanea | relax, lounge, pass the time in leisure
114. Hau'oli lā i ala hou ai ka haku | Happy Easter
     literal meaning: the day of the rising of the lord
115. hua | egg
116. 'auhau| tax
     luna 'auhau | tax collector
     hale 'auhau | tax building
     
     CUSTOMS
117. loina | customs, traditions, the way we do things
118. makana | gift (inexpensive, bought)
119. ho'okupu | ceremonial gift, offering (mele/song), much thought goes into presenting the offering
     
     MAY DAY
120. Mei | May (month)
121. lei | garland, wreath, necklace of flowers
122. haku lei | braid, compose, arrange
123. 'aihue | thief, steal
124. kope | coffee
125. kalima | cream
126. makani pāhili | hurricane
127. wai hālana | flood
128. Hau'oli lā makuahine | Happy Mother's Day
     
     GRADUATION
129. puka | graduation
130. Ho'omaika'i 'Ana Ho'opuka | Congratulations Graduate!
131. Kula Ki'e ki'e | high school
     kula | school
     ki'e ki'e | high, highest
132. Kula nui | college
     nui | great
133. palapala | diploma
     palapala puka | high school /graduation diploma
134. kula kamali'i | preschool
135. kekele | degree
     kekele laepua | bachelor's degree
     Memorial Day
136. pā ilina | cemetery
137. ku'ai ho'emi | reduction sales
138. pā'ina | meal, dinner, small party with dinner
139. make (mah-kay) | die, perish
140. lānui | holiday
     
     SUMMER
141. kau wela | summer
142. kawāu | humid, damp
143. Iune (ee-you-nay)| June
     
144. pōkole | short
145. ho'olimalima | to rent
146. paikikala | bicycle
147. one (oh-nay) | sand
148. holo| ride
     
     4TH OF JULY
149. 'Amelika | America
150. kaolele | fireworks
151. ki'i'oni'oni | movie
     hale ki'i'oni'oni | movie theater
     
152. wahine male hou | bride
153. kāne male hou | groom
154. male (mah-lay) | marriage, wedding
155. mele | music (vocal, singing)
156. hula | a dance
157. kumu | purpose, reason
158. uku | pay, wages
     uku hana | salary
159. ho'omana'o | memory, to remember
160. lolo | brain
161. mo'ohelu | budget
162. ka'aahi kau lewa | elevated train, monorail
     
163. kikahō | interrupt rudely
164. hoka | disappointed
165. ho'oma'au | bully, torment
166. 'ino | wicked, immoral, sinful
167. ho'oma'ema'e | to cleanse, disinfect
168. 'enehana | technology
     
169. hele mai | come (in my direction)
170. hele aku | go away
171. 'olu'olu | cool
     hō'olu'olu | cool off
172. kai 'olu'olu | cool water
173. hele mai i ko'u hale | come to my house