101 of the Easiest Hawaiian Words You’ll Ever Learn |
Called "loan words" or transliterated words, these are English words and phrases that have been Hawaiianized into their phonetic equivalents. Thus, familiar-sounding to the English speaker, they are easily learned. As they should, language policymakers discourage the casual importing of non-indigenous words into the vocabulary; the speakers themselves do not often share this disdain for borrowed words. |
Pronunciation Guide
1. |
`Ahâ! |
[ah HAH'!] |
Aha! |
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2. |
`âmene |
[AH' meh neh] |
amen |
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3. |
`anakala |
[ah' nah kah' lah] |
uncle |
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4. |
`anakê |
[ah nah KEH'] |
aunt / aunty |
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5. |
`ânela |
[AH' neh lah] |
angel |
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6. |
`Auka! |
[au' kah!] |
Out! (as in baseball) |
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7. |
boe |
[boe] |
boy |
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8. |
kiuke |
[kiu' keh] |
cute |
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9. |
dia |
[dee' (y)ah] |
dear, deer |
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10. |
`ai kalima |
[ai' kah lee' mah] |
ice cream |
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11. |
hame |
[hah' meh] |
ham |
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12. |
Hapenuia! |
[hah' peh nui' (y)ah] |
Happy New Year! |
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13. |
hila |
[hee' lah] |
heel |
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14. |
hipa |
[hee' pah] |
sheep |
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15. |
Hipahipa! |
[hee' pah hee' pah!] |
Hip hip (hoorah)! |
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16. |
hôkele |
[HOH' keh leh] |
hotel |
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17. |
home |
[hoh' meh] |
home |
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18. |
huka |
[hoo' kah] |
hook |
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19. |
hupa |
[hoo' pah] |
hoop |
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20. |
kaimana |
[kai' mah nah] |
diamond |
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21. |
kaina |
[kai' nah] |
kind, kind of |
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22. |
kakalina |
[kah' kah lee' nah] |
gasoline, Katherine |
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23. |
kalakoa |
[kah' lah koh' (w)ah] |
calico |
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24. |
kalamela |
[kah' lah meh' lah] |
caramel |
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24. |
kalaunu |
[kah lau' noo] |
crown, clown |
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25. |
kalena |
[kah leh' nah] |
talent |
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26. |
Kristo |
[krees' toh] |
Christ |
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27. |
Kamipulu! |
[kah' mee poo' loo!] |
Damn fool! |
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28. |
kamu |
[kah' moo] |
gum |
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29. |
Kanakaloka |
[kah' nah kah loh' kah] |
Santa Claus |
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30. |
kanakalû |
[kah nah kah LOO'] |
kangaroo |
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31. |
kanakê |
[kah nah KEH'] |
candy |
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32. |
Kanapapiki! |
[kah' nah pah pee' kee] |
Son of a bitch! |
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33. |
kanapî |
[kah nah PEE'] |
centipede |
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34. |
kaona |
[kao' nah] |
town |
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35. |
kâpena |
[KAH' peh nah] |
captain |
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36. |
kapioka |
[kah' pee (y)oh' kah] |
tapioca |
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37. |
kapu |
[kah' poo] |
tub, cap |
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38. |
Keaka |
[keh (y)ah' kah] |
Jack, as in cards |
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39. |
keka |
[keh' kah] |
sex, as in gender |
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40. |
kelaki |
[keh lah' kee] |
celery |
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41. |
kele |
[keh' leh] |
jelly |
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42. |
kelepona |
[keh' leh poh' nah] |
telephone |
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43. |
kelikoli |
[keh' lee koh' lee] |
territory |
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44. |
kî |
[KEE'] |
key |
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45. |
kîkâ |
[KEE' KAH'] |
guitar |
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46. |
kike |
[kee' keh] |
kitty |
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47. |
kilika |
[kee lee' kah] |
silk |
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48. |
kinamona |
[kee' nah moh' nah] |
cinnamon |
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49. |
kini |
[kee' nee] |
tin, as in tin can |
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50. |
Kipue! |
[kee pue'!] |
Keep away! |
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51. |
kô`ala |
[KOH' ah lah] |
coals (to roast over) |
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52. |
kôkô |
[KOH' KOH'] |
cocoa |
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53. |
koloaka |
[koh' loh (w)ah' kah] |
soda water |
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54. |
kopa |
[koh' pah] |
soap |
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55. |
kope |
[koh' peh] |
coffee |
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54. |
kuawa |
[koo (w)ah' vah] |
guava |
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55. |
kueka |
[koo (w)eh' kah] |
sweater |
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56. |
kuki |
[koo' kee] |
cookie |
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57. |
kûkû |
[KOO' KOO'] |
cuckoo |
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58. |
kupa |
[koo' pah] |
soup |
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59. |
laiki |
[lai' kee] |
rice |
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60. |
laina |
[lai' nah] |
line |
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61. |
laki |
[lah' kee] |
lucky |
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62. |
Leiko! |
[lei' koh!] |
Let go! |
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63. |
leka |
[leh' kah] |
letter |
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64. |
loio |
[loi' (y)oh] |
lawyer |
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65. |
loke |
[loh' keh] |
rose |
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66. |
Lukau! |
[loo kau'!] |
Look out! |
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67. |
mâkâ |
[MAH' KAH'] |
mark, marker |
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68. |
makika |
[mah kee' kah] |
mosquito |
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69. |
manakô |
[mah nah KOH'] |
mango |
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70. |
Mele Kalikimaka! |
[meh' leh kah' lee kee mah' kah] |
Merry Christmas! |
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71. |
nematoda |
[neh' mah toh' dah] |
Nematoda, parasitic invertebrates |
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72. |
nûpepa |
[NOO' peh pah] |
newspaper |
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73. |
`Ololaiki! |
[oh' loh lai' kee] |
All right! |
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74. |
pai |
[pai'] |
pie |
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75. |
paila |
[pai' lah] |
pile (a heap, a lot) |
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76. |
paina |
[pai' nah] |
pine, as in tree; pint |
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77. |
palai |
[pah lai'] |
fry |
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78. |
pâma |
[PAH' mah] |
palm |
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79. |
papaia |
[pah pai' (y)ah] |
papaya |
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80. |
pekunia |
[peh' koo nee' (y)ah] |
petunia |
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81. |
pepa |
[peh' pah] |
paper |
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82. |
pêpê / pê |
[PEH' PEH'] / [PEH'] |
baby / babe |
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83. |
piano |
[pee (y)ah' noh] |
piano |
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84. |
pika |
[pee' kah] |
pizza |
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85. |
pîkake |
[PEE' kah keh] |
peacock |
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86. |
pika pua |
[pee' kah poo' (w)ah] |
pitcher flower (vase) |
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87. |
pila |
[pee' lah] |
fiddle |
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88. |
pine |
[pee' neh] |
pin |
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89. |
pîwa |
[PEE' vah] |
fever |
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90. |
pola |
[poh' lah] |
bowl |
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91. |
polû |
[poh LOO'] |
blue |
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92. |
pôpoki |
[POH' poh kee] |
cat, from "poor pussy" |
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93. |
uaki |
[oo (w)ah' kee] |
watch |
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94. |
uea |
[oo (w)eh' (y)ah] |
wire |
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95. |
waina |
[wai' nah] / [vai' nah] |
wine, vine |
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96. |
waiolina |
[wai' (y)oh lee' nah] |
violin |
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97. |
walanuka |
[wah' lah noo' kah] |
walnut |
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98. |
wanila |
[vah nee' lah] |
vanilla |
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99. |
weleweka |
[veh' leh veh' kah] |
velvet |
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100. |
wîneka |
[VEE' neh kah] |
vinegar |
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101. |
Wô! |
[WOH'!] |
Whoa! |
Now, wasn’t that ma`alahi (easy)?
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