Common Hawaiian Words and Their Meanings

Learning a few Hawaiian words is one of the simplest ways to show respect when you visit. The words below come up in everyday life across the islands. Say them sincerely, and pronounce each vowel clearly. When you are ready, our pronunciation guide covers the ʻokina and kahakō that shape how words sound.

Greetings and courtesy

• Aloha: hello, goodbye, and love. More than a greeting; it describes a way of being. See the aloha spirit for the deeper meaning.
• Mahalo: thank you. "Mahalo nui loa" (mah-HAH-loh NOO-ee LOH-ah) means thank you very much. Saying mahalo to service workers, bus drivers, and people who help you is standard courtesy in Hawaii.
• E komo mai: welcome, come in. Literally "come inside" or "enter." You'll see it on welcome signs and hear it at shops and restaurants.
• A hui hou: until we meet again. A warm way to say goodbye that anticipates returning, more personal than a simple aloha.
• ʻA ʻole pilikia: no problem, you're welcome. A casual response to mahalo. Often shortened to "no pilikia."

People and family

• ʻOhana: family, including extended family, adopted family (hānai), and chosen family. The root word ʻohā refers to the taro shoot that grows from the parent plant. See ʻohana meaning for more depth.
• Keiki: child or children. Singular and plural are the same. "Keiki o ka ʻāina" means children of the land, referring to Native Hawaiians born to the islands.
• Wahine: woman. You will see it on restroom signs (Wāhine for women, Kāne for men). Plural is wāhine (with a kahakō macron on the first a).
• Kāne: man. Also the name of one of the four major Hawaiian gods. Restroom signs use it for men's rooms.
• Kūpuna: elder, grandparent, or ancestor. Treated with deep respect in Hawaiian culture as keepers of knowledge and family history. Plural is kūpuna (same form).
• Makua: parent. Makuahine is mother; makuakāne is father.
• Hānai: adopted or foster child, or the practice of informal adoption within extended families. Hānai children are considered full members of ʻohana.

Places and directions

• Mauka: toward the mountain, inland. Used instead of north/south/east/west for directions. "Go mauka on King Street" means head inland/toward the mountains.
• Makai: toward the sea, toward the ocean. "The restaurant is makai of the highway" means on the ocean side. Essential for understanding local directions.
• ʻĀina: land, but with deeper meaning: that which feeds, sustains, and nourishes. Not just property but a living relationship. See mālama ʻāina (caring for the land).
• Wai: fresh water. Appears in many place names: Waikīkī (spouting water), Wailea (water of Lea), Waimea (reddish water), Waipahu (bursting water).
• Kai: ocean, sea, salt water. Kailua means "two seas," Kahaluʻu means "the diving place."
• Pali: cliff, precipice. The Nuʻuanu Pali lookout on Oʻahu is named for the dramatic cliffs where a decisive 1795 battle occurred.
• Mauna: mountain. Mauna Kea means "white mountain" (snow-capped); Mauna Loa means "long mountain."
• Pua: flower, blossom. Puamana means "flower branch."

Values and everyday words

• Pono: righteousness, balance, correctness, doing what is morally right. A central Hawaiian value. "Live pono" means to live ethically and in balance with others and the land. See pono meaning.
• Kuleana: responsibility, privilege, and right. It describes both the duty you have and the authority you hold over something. Someone with kuleana over a piece of land has both the right to use it and the responsibility to care for it. See kuleana meaning.
• Mālama: to care for, protect, preserve. Mālama ʻāina means to care for the land. Mālama ka moana means to care for the ocean. You'll see "mālama Hawaii" messaging asking visitors to treat the islands respectfully.
• Hoʻoponopono: to make right, to restore balance, to reconcile. A traditional Hawaiian conflict resolution practice involving honest discussion, forgiveness, and restitution.
• Ono: delicious, tasty. "This poke is ono!" Useful at any meal and universally understood.
• Pau: finished, done, all gone. "Pau hana" means work is done (happy hour time). "All pau" means completely finished.
• Kokua: help, assistance, cooperation. "Please kokua" means please help or cooperate. Signs asking for cooperation often say "mahalo for your kokua."
• Kapu: forbidden, sacred, taboo, off-limits. Rooted in the ancient kapu system of laws. "Kapu" signs mean do not enter or do not touch.
• Mele Kalikimaka: Merry Christmas. See Mele Kalikimaka for pronunciation and meaning.
• Hauʻoli: happy, joyful. "Hauʻoli lā hānau" means happy birthday. "Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou" means Happy New Year.

These words open a door into Hawaiian culture and its values. Use them with genuine intent, and pair them with the respect covered in our etiquette guide.