Language
Wahine and Kāne: Hawaiian Words for Woman and Man
Wahine means woman and kāne means man in Hawaiian. You will see these words on bathroom signs, in surf culture, and in everyday conversation across Hawaii. Here is what they mean.
Wahine (woman) and kāne (man) are two of the most commonly seen Hawaiian words in everyday life in Hawaii. Knowing them prevents confusion at bathrooms, helps you follow local conversation, and connects you to a pair of words that carry significant cultural weight beyond their everyday meaning.
Wahine and kāne
Wahine is pronounced wah-HEE-neh. It means woman or women. The word traces to Proto-Polynesian *fafine (woman, female), with cognates across Polynesian languages: Samoan fafine, Tongan fefine, Maori wahine. Like most Hawaiian words, the singular and plural forms are identical; context tells you whether one woman or many women is meant. In surf culture, wahine refers to female surfers, and the phrase "wahine surf" or "women's division" is standard at competitions. The word appears in place names (Wahineʻōmaʻo on Maui), in songs, and in everyday speech across Hawaii.
Kāne is pronounced KAH-neh, with a lengthened first vowel indicated by the kahakō (macron) over the ā. It means man or men. The word derives from Proto-Polynesian *taŋata (person, man), though the Hawaiian form has diverged significantly from that root. You will also see it written as kane without the macron on older signs and in casual use; the meaning is identical.
Kāne is also the name of one of the four major Hawaiian gods: the creator god associated with fresh water, sunlight, forests, and human life. Kāne is the highest of the four major gods (Kāne, Kū, Lono, Kanaloa) and the one most associated with life-giving forces. This dual meaning - the ordinary word for man and the name of the highest god - reflects a Hawaiian worldview in which the human and the divine are closely linked through genealogy and in which the Hawaiian people trace their ancestry back to the gods themselves.
Bathroom signs in Hawaii
Many bathrooms across Hawaii, particularly at parks, cultural sites, and locally owned establishments, label their facilities with wahine (women's) and kāne (men's) rather than or in addition to the English words. This is one of the most practical reasons to know these two words before your trip. The kāne bathroom is for men; the wahine bathroom is for women. If you see a door marked with a fish hook (a classic kāne symbol in art) or a hula figure (wahine), those are the visual equivalents.
Gender in Hawaiian culture
In ancient Hawaiian culture, gender roles were distinct and governed partly by the kapu system: men and women ate separately, and certain foods were reserved for men. The abolition of the kapu system in 1819 ended these formal restrictions. Contemporary Hawaiian culture acknowledges the traditional binary of wahine and kāne while also recognizing māhū, a traditional Hawaiian concept of a person who embodies both feminine and masculine qualities. Māhū were respected members of Hawaiian society, often serving as healers, teachers, and cultural keepers. The term is reclaimed and used positively in contemporary Hawaiian LGBTQ+ communities.
For more Hawaiian vocabulary, see common Hawaiian words and our guide to Hawaiian pronunciation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does wahine mean in Hawaiian?
What does kane mean in Hawaiian?
What do the bathroom signs say in Hawaii?
We research each guide against primary sources: the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Mālama Hawaii, the National Park Service, the State of Hawaii and its Division of State Parks, the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Census. For culture, language, and history we lean on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Bishop Museum, and the scholarship of Mary Kawena Pukui. We send readers to those sources rather than speaking over them. When rules, prices, or conditions change, we update the page.