Hawaiian Words to Know for Your Vacation

Now, on to Vowel Pronunciation:

A - pronounced ah, as in father; E - pronounced ey, as in they; I - pronounced ee, as in peep; O - pronounced o, as in own; U – pronounced oo, as in moon

And the Consonants:

H, L, M, and N are all pronounced just as they are in English. K and P are also pronounced the same but with less aspiration. However, the W can vary a bit. W after i and e is pronounced like a very soft V. After u and o, it’s pronounced like W.  Any word that begins with W can be pronounced as W or a very soft V.

You’ll also want to know about the 'okina- it’s a glottal stop, or a small break in a word, and is considered a consonant. Think of ‘oh-oh’ in English; that quick pause between ‘ohs’ is like the 'okina. Hawaiian also uses the kahakō, or macron, which emphasizes long vowels. While we respect these symbols as an integral part of the language, we will not be using them here for simplicity.

Some Hawaiian Language Tips to Remember:

• Hawaiian words will never end with a consonant, always a vowel.
• Every syllable must end with a vowel.
• Every consonant must be followed by at least one vowel.
• Syllables are only one or two letters long, never longer.

Now that you have the basics down let’s learn some of the words and phrases you might encounter during your trip.

Common Words and Phrases:

Aloha - Hello, goodbye; also love, affection. You will usually hear it used as a greeting

Aloha kakahiaka – Good morning

Aloha auinala – Good afternoon

Aloha ahiahi – Good evening

Aloha nui loa – Very much love

Pehea oe – How are you?

Maikai no au – I am fine

Aole pilikia – No problem, you’re welcome

E komo mai – Welcome (greeting)

A hui hou – Goodbye, until we meet again

Mahalo - Thank you

Mahalo nui loa- Thank you very much

Kokua - Mutual assistance, pitching in. You may hear 'Mahalo for your kokua.'

Ohana - Family

Keiki – Child(ren)

Malihini - Newcomer, visitor, or one of unfamiliar or foreign origin

Hale – House, home

Akamai – Smart, intelligent, clever

Wahine - Woman, female

Kane - Man, male

Pau - Done, finished

Hana - Work

Pau hana - End of the work day. (You may see pau hana restaurant and bar specials or what the mainland U.S. knows as happy hour.)

Okole Maluna – Bottoms up! (A toast)

Pupu – Snacks, appetizers

Ono – Delicious (also a type of fish)

Luau - a Hawaiian feast

Hula – Traditional Hawaiian dance

Imu – Underground oven, typically used at a luau

Poi - Hawaiian dish made from crushed taro root

Hulihuli – Rotisserie or end-over-end, as in the style of cooking chicken

Lei - A necklace, usually of flowers, but  is also made of shells or kukui nuts

Kukui – Candlenut tree, the state tree of Hawaii. The nuts have a high oil content and were once used as candles.

Puka — Puka shells are round with center holes, strung together to make necklaces. These rare shells are often substituted with beads for jewelry making.

Honu - Hawaiian green sea turtle

Lanai - Balcony, roofed patio, veranda

Koa – Warrior. Also, a native tree used to make canoes and other special wooden objects

Holoholo – To travel for adventure and enjoyment. It can also refer to going fishing.

Kapu – Keep out, forbidden. (Please respect these signs when hiking and exploring.)

Makai - Towards the ocean, on the ocean side

Mauka - Towards the mountain, on the mountainside

Moana - Ocean

Pali - Hill

Ala – Path, trail, road

Aina – Land, homeland

Kai – The sea, saltwater

Wai – Freshwater

Pahoehoe – Type of smooth-surface volcanic rock

Malama - To take care of, to tend. Malama aina- To care for the land.

Kamaaina - One of the land native-born Hawaiians. Also used when referring to long-term residents of the Islands

Hana hou – Do it again, one more, encore. An appreciative response after an event.

Menehune – Mythical and sometimes mischievous small people who are said to be very smart and are known to pierce the hearts of angry people to fill them with love. They are said to magically build large structures overnight.

Wiki - Quick, speedy. The Wiki Wiki is a shuttle system at the Honolulu Airport.

Pono - Right or righteous. Malama pono- Take care, be right (as a parting expression)

Kuleana – One’s personal sense of responsibility, accountability

Alii - Chief, royalty

Kahuna – Expert. Usually refers to a priest, minister, or person held in esteem

Kuuipo - Sweetheart. Often used on jewelry - especially the Hawaiian bracelets worn by wahine

Paniolo - Hawaiian cowboy

Mana – Spiritual or magical power

Nani – Beautiful, pretty

And we’ll close with one of our favorites (now that you’ve practiced):

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa - Topical reef triggerfish; also the state fish of Hawaii

It’s worth noting that a Hawaiian language renaissance is underway as more people are interested in learning this once-repressed form of communication.

We hope this list of Hawaiian words gets you off on the right foot, whether you’ll be using them exclusively on your Hawaii vacation or looking to delve deeper into this beautiful Polynesian dialect.

Interested in learning more about Hawaii and its history? Please read our blog, which covers all about the beautiful Hawaiian Islands!