Hawaiian Words

Hawaiian isn't too hard to pronounce if you know the rules. First, each syllable is either a vowel by itself or a vowel and a consonant. Example – aka is pronounced ah-kah… There are some glottal stops that change the meaning and pronunciation, but I'll try to just give you a few easy ones.

You can break down the words just by combining the consonant with the vowel and if there is a vowel left over, pronounce it by itself. So that famous State fish of Hawaii? Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is pronounced:
Hu•mu•hu•mu•nu•ku•nu•ku•a•pu•a’•a
(or - Hoo moo hoo moo noo koo noo koo ah poo ah ah)

And – you need to know how the vowels are pronounced.
We do our vowels a little differently:

Vowel Pronunciation
a ah
i ee
u oo
e eh
o oh

You will also notice that there are fewer consonants. No b, c, d, f, g, j, q, r, s, t, v, x or y --- the W is sometimes pronounced as a ‘v’. You will hear Hawai’i pronounced Hah vah ee sometimes.

Hawaiian English
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A Hui Hou Till we meet again

Malama Pono Take good care
Aloha me pumehana Warm love
Kinaole Do it right the first time, every time, in the right way

E Piha Keia La Mea
Ke Aloha Ame Ka Pono May Your Day be Filled with Love and Goodness

Hau`oli La Hanau Happy Birthday
Hau`oli Makahiki Hou Happy New Year
Mele Kalikimaka Merry Christmas

`Ae Yes
Ahiahi Evening
Aia i hea? Where?
`Aina Land
Akamai Knowledgeable
`Akau North
Aku Away from me (directional)
Ali`i Hawaiian royalty
Aloalo Hibiscus
Aloha Greetings, hello, good-bye, affection, love
`A`ole No
`Apopo Tomorrow
A`u Swordfish, marlin
Auinala Afternoon
`Aumakua Family god
Awa Passage, channel, harbor
Awakea Noon
Ha`aha`a Humbleness
Ha`awina Lesson
Hala Pandanus tree
Hala-kahiki Pineapple
Halau School
Hale House
Haleakala House of the rising sun
Hana Activity, labor
Hana hou to do it again
Hanai Informally Adopted child or person
Hanau To give birth
Hapa Part, a portion
Hapai To carry; pregnant
Hau A Hawaiian hibiscus; used as natural fencing
Haumana Student
Hau`oli Happy
He aha What
Heiau Hawaiian worship site
Hele To go, to come
Hele aku Go away
Hele mai Come here
Helu Number
Hikina East
Himeni Hymn

Hoaloha Friend
Hola Hour
Holoholo to go somewhere , to walk around

Honu Turtle
Ho`okipa To extend hospitality
Ho`okupu Gift from the land
Ho`olaule` a Celebration
Ho`olele To embark
Ho`olohe T o listen
Ho’omalimali to schmooze
Ho`oninau To ask
Ho`oponopono To set things right, amend, rectify
Hou New, again
Hui Organization
Hula Dance
`Ilio Dog
Imu Cooking pit/ underground oven
Ipo Lover, boy/ girlfriend
Iwi Bones
Kahakai Beach
Kahawai Stream
Kaho`olawe The act of taking
Kahu pastor
Ka`i to walk/ lead
Kai Ocean
Kaikamahine Daughter
Kaikunane Brother
Kaikuahine Sister
Kako`o Apprentice
Kakou Us

Kalani Chief
Kalua To bake in a ground oven
Kalo Taro
Kama`aina Native-born
Kanaka Human
Kanaka maoli Native Hawaiian
Kane Man
Kapu Forbidden, sacred, taboo, no trespassing
Kau kau Food (actually this is a Chinese word, but is used frequently in Hawaii)

Ke Akua God
Keia la Today
Keiki Child
Keiki kane Son
Kekoa Warrior
Kekona Second (fraction of a minute)
Kela 'apopo Tomorrow
Kokua Help
Kona Leeward, from the South
Ko`olau Windward, from the North
Kukakuka Let's talk story
Kukui Candlenut tree
Kula School
Kuleana Right, claim, property, interest, responsibility
Kumu T eacher
Kupuna Elder, ancestor
Ku’uipo Sweetheart
La hanau Birthday
Lanai Porch, patio
Lani Heaven
Laulima To work together
Lomi lomi Traditional Hawaiian massage
Lono Deity of agriculture, peace
Lua Hole with a bottom, crater, also bathroom
Mahalo Thank you
Mahina Moon, month
Mahinahina Feminine-like
Mai To come
Maika`i Good
Maka Eyes
Makahiki Hou New Year
Makai Ocean-side
Makamaka Colleague
Makana Gift
Makani Wind
Make Dead
Makemake Miss, desire
Makua Parent
Makuahine Mother
Malama To care for, preserve
Malihini Visitor
Mana Spiritual power
Mana`o Thought, belief
Mano Shark
Ma uka Toward the mountain
Mele Chant, song
Menehune Mythological Hawaiian elf
Moa Chicken
Moana Ocean
Moe moe Sleep
Moku Island
Mo`olelo History, tradition, journal
Na The (Plural)
Nai`a Dolphin
Nani Beautiful
Nui Big, large
`Ohana Family, relative
`Olelo Words, to speak
Oli Chant
`Olu `olu Please
Ono A large mackerel type fish
`Ono Delicious
Pali Cliff
Paniolo Cowboy, cowgirl
Pau Finished, complete, over, after

Pilikia Trouble
Pilikua Husband (that's why we say the only difference between husband and trouble is "i" and "u")
Po Night
Pohaku Rock
Poho Out of luck, damaged, lost
Pokani Dark, star-less night
Pono Moral, upright, excellence, in balance
Pua Flower
Pueo Owl
Puka Hole, perforation
Pule Prayer
Pumehana Warmth, affection
Ua Rain
`Uhane Spirit, ghost
`Uku Flea (that instrument you hear about - ‘uku lele means “dancing flea”)
Wahine Woman
Wiki Quick, fast (the new WikiPedia that you find online is named from this word)

Source: Hawaiian Dictionary, Revised Edition, 1986. University of Hawaii Press

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Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono. The life of the land is preserved in righteousness.
Motto of Hawai`i.

`Onipa`a Stand firm.
Motto of Queen Lili`uokalani.