Hawaiian words




Hawaiian wordEnglish meaning
ahifire
ahiahievening
akamaismart, clever, expert
alakaʻito lead, guide, direct
alanuistreet, road, highway
alapiʻistairs
alaulalight of early dawn, sunset glow
alelotongue
aliʻichief
aloface
alohalove, hello, goodbye
anuanucold, chilly
ānuenuerainbow
aolight, dawn, cloud
apolimabracelet
awāwavalley, gulch, ravine
haeflag
hāhāluamanta ray
haʻahaʻahumble, modest, meek
haʻaheoproud
hāʻawito give, grant
haʻito tell, declare; to break or snap
haʻiʻōlelospeech, address, lecture
hāikinarrow, pinched
hainakāhandkerchief, napkin
hālaulong house, as for canoes or hula instruction; meeting house
hālāwaimeeting; to meet
halehouse, building
halihalito transport, transmit
hāliʻia covering; to spread
hanawork, to work
hānaifeed, raise, adopt
hānauto give birth; born
hanohanoglorious, magnificent, noble
hāpaito carry, lift, elevate; pregnant
hauʻolihappy
hāwanawanato whisper, whispering
heʻeto slide, octopus
heʻe naluto surf
heiauHawaiian temple
helunumber, to count
heluheluto read
hemaleft, south
hemoloose, separated, untied
hiamoesleep; to sleep
hiapofirst-born child
hīhīmanusting ray
hikinaeast
hīnaʻibasket, container
hipasheep
hoahānaucousin
hoalohafriend, beloved companion
hōʻailonasign
hōʻiketo show, exhibit
hoʻokipato entertain, to greet
hoʻoloheto hear, obey
hoʻomākeʻakafunny
hoʻomoanato camp
hoihoipleased, interesting
hōkūstar
holahour
holoto run, sail, ride, go
holoholoto go for a walk, ride, or sail
holoito wash, clean, erase
honito kiss, to smell; a kiss, a scent
honuaearth
houpodiaphragm, chest
huafruit, egg, seed
huaʻōleloword
huakaʻitrip, voyage, journey
hūhūangry
huʻihuʻicold, numbing, tingling
huiclub, association; to join, unite
hulalishining, glittering, glossy
hulito search, look for, to turn
hulihiaoverturned, a complete change
hulufeather, quill, plumage
ʻāhinahinagray, silver
ʻahucape
ʻaʻakasurly, cranky, irritable
ʻaikalimaice cream
ʻāinaland
ʻakaʻakato laugh; laughter, merriment
ʻākalapink
ʻākauright, north
ʻalafragrant, sweet-smelling
ʻalaniorange
ʻalemanakacalendar, almanac
ʻanakalauncle
ʻanakēaunty
ʻaoʻaopage
ʻauʻauswim, bathe
ʻauinalāafternoon
ʻawaʻawabitter, sour, tart
ʻehuspray, foam, mist
ʻekebag
ʻeleʻeleblack
ʻelelūcockroach
ʻelepanielephant
ʻelewekaelevator
ʻenared-hot, glowing
ʻiketo see, know, feel, experience
ʻiliskin
ʻīliodog
ʻīlioholoikauauaHawaiian monk seal
ʻimito search, look for
ʻioHawaiian hawk
ʻiolerat
ʻōfork
ʻohanafamily, relative, kin group
ʻōlelolanguage, speech, word
ʻōlinobright, brilliant, dazzling
ʻolokaʻato roll
ʻōmaʻomaʻogreen
ʻōmolebottle
ʻōpalatrash
ʻōpioyouth, juvenile, junior
ʻōpūbelly, stomach
ʻualasweet potato
ʻulaʻulared
ʻūpāscissors, shears, any instrument that opens and shuts
ihoto go down, descend
ihunose
iʻafish
inoaname
inuto drink
kahakaibeach
kāheato call, cry out
kahikoold, ancient
kahuafoundation, base, site
kaʻacar
kaʻa ʻōhuabus
kaʻaahitrain, railroad
kaʻawaleseparate, free, different, apart
kakato rinse, clean
kakāduck; to quack
kakahiakamorning
kākauto write
kākoʻoto uphold, support, favor
kalaiwato drive
kalakatruck
kalotaro
kamahaʻowonderful, astonishing, marvelous
kāmaʻashoe, sandal
kamepiulacomputer
kānāwailaw, code, rule, statute
kāneman, husband
kanisound
kaogoat
kaomito press down, squeeze with downward pressure
kapaalso called Tapa, a fabric as made from wauke bark
kapalilifluttering, quivering as a leaf
kāpenacaptain
kauhalegroup of houses comprising a Hawaiian home
kaulanafamous
kaumahasad, heavy
kauohaorder, command, demand
kaupokuroof, ceiling
kāweleto dust, or wipe with a cloth
keikichild
kekonasecond
keleponatelephone
kenaquenched, satisfied
kiaʻiguard, watchman, caretaker
kīʻahacup, glass
kiʻiimage, picture; to fetch, get
kiʻiʻoniʻonimovie
kikatiger
kīkalahips
kikokikospotted; to type
kilapegiraffe
kiloito throw, throw away, discard
kinican
kinipōpōball
kipirebellion, revolt, to rebel
koabrave; warrior; the largest of native forest trees
koholāwhale
kōkuahelp, aid, assistance, relief
koloto creep, crawl, move along
komoto enter
komohanawest
kopecoffee
stand, upright, stop
kuaback
kuahiwimountain
kūʻaito buy, barter, sell
kuʻito pound, punch, strike
kūʻokoʻaindependence, liberty, freedom
kukuicandlenut, light
kulaschool, plain
kula pepeiaoearrings
kuleanaresponsibility, right, privilege
kumuteacher, foundation, source
kumulaʻautree
kupunagrandparent, ancestor
sun, day
lahabroadly circulated, spread out
lāhuination, race, tribe, people
lalodown, low, under
lanafloating, buoyant
lanakilavictory, triumph
lauleaf
laulābroad, wide, liberal
lauohohair
lawaiʻafisherman; to fish
leʻaleʻato have a good time, fun, amusement
leigarland
lekauilae-mail
leki tape
leleto fly, to jump
lemilemon
leovoice
lepodirt, earth, ground
limaarm, hand
limahanalaborer, worker, employee
limuseaweed, underwater plants
liohorse
loʻiirrigated terrace, especially for taro
lōʻihilength, long, tall
loleclothes
lolito change, alter, influence
lunahigh, upper, above
lupekite
mahiʻaifarmer; to cultivate land, farm
mahinamoon, month
maʻisickness, illness, disease
māʻonafull after eating
makaeyes
makaanianiglasses
mākaʻipoliceman, guard; to police
mākaʻikaʻito visit the sights
makamaeprecious, of great value, highly prized
makaniwind
mākekemarket
mākuaparent
makuahinemother
makuakānefather
mālagarden, plantation, patch
mālamato take care of, tend, preserve
mālamalamalight of knowledge
malihinistranger, foreigner, tourist
mamaluumbrella
manaʻothought, idea, belief, opinion
manakōmango
manōshark
manubird
maopopoto understand, recognize, realize
mauʻugrass
maunamountain, mountainous region
meainudrink, beverage
meakanuplant
mehamehaloneliness, solitariness
melesong
melemeleyellow
mikiʻaonail
minoʻakasmile; to smile
minukeminute
moachicken
moanaocean
moeʻuhanedream; to dream
moenamat, bed, resting place
mōʻīmonarch, sovereign, queen, king
moʻolizard, water spirit/guardian
moʻokūʻauhaugenealogy
moʻolelostory, tale, myth, history, tradition
moʻopunagrandchild
mokuisland, boat
mokuleleairplane
momonasweet, fat, fertile
muliafter, behind, younger
nahuto bite
naʻauaoknowledge, wisdom, enlightened
naiʻadolphin
naluwave
nānāto look at, observe
naneaenjoyable, at ease, at leisure
nihotooth
nīnauquestion; to ask a question
niucoconut
niuhiman-eating shark
noemist, fog, spray from the rain
nohochair, to sit
noʻeauclever, skillful, wise
noʻonoʻothought, reflection, thinking
noito ask for something, request
nuibig
nūpepanewspaper
olalife, to live
olia chant; to chant
onesand
pahubox, drum; to push, shove
paʻafirm, solid, secure, closed
pāʻanito play
paʻito hit; to print as on a printer
pāʻinaparty
pākahisingly, once, one at a time
pākaukautable
pākekepocket
palapaladocument, certificate
palaunubrown
paleto ward off, shield, defend, protect
paleʻilishirt
palicliff, precipice
paniolocowboy
papahelefloor
pāpalehat
pēʻahifan, wave
pekua kick, to kick
pelelava flow; name of volcanic goddess who creates new earth
penipen
penikalapencil
pepapaper
pēpēbaby
pepeiaoear
piʻito climb, ascend, rise
pinaodragonfly
pipicow
night, darkness
poepoeround
pōhaicircle, group, gathering
pohochalk
poʻohead
poʻohiwishoulder
poʻoʻōlelotitle
pōkiʻiyounger brother or sister, or closely related younger cousin
pōkoleshort, brief
polabowl
polūblue
ponipurple
pōpokicat
puaflower
puaʻapig
pueoowl
puʻuhill, peak, cone
puʻuwaiheart
pukahole, door
pukaanianiwindow
pukebook
puleweek, to pray
pulelehuabutterfly
pūlumibroom; to sweep
punaspoon
pūnaewelenetwork, internet
punahelefavorite
uarain
to cry, weep, lament, mourn
uhito cover; a covering, tattoo
uilalightning, electricity
ulanato plait, weave, braid
uliuliany dark color including the deep blue of the sea, green of vegetation, black of clouds
ulubreadfruit, growth, to grow
wahamouth
wahinewoman, wife
waʻacanoe
waiwater
waihonacloset, cabinet
walaʻauto talk, speak, converse
wāwaeleg, foot
weheto open, untie, undo, loosen
weheweheto explain, define
wehidecoration, adornment, ornament
welahot, burned
weloto flutter, float, or stream, as in the wind
wenaglow, as of sunrise or fire
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