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.

1.

`Ahâ!

[ah HAH'!]

Aha!

2.

`âmene

[AH' meh neh]

amen

3.

`anakala

[ah' nah kah' lah]

uncle

4.

`anakê

[ah nah KEH']

aunt / aunty

5.

`ânela

[AH' neh lah]

angel

6.

`Auka!

[au' kah!]

Out! (as in baseball)

7.

boe

[boe]

boy

8.

kiuke

[kiu' keh]

cute

9.

dia

[dee' (y)ah]

dear, deer

10.

`ai kalima

[ai' kah lee' mah]

ice cream

11.

hame

[hah' meh]

ham

12.

Hapenuia!

[hah' peh nui' (y)ah]

Happy New Year!

13.

hila

[hee' lah]

heel

14.

hipa

[hee' pah]

sheep

15.

Hipahipa!

[hee' pah hee' pah!]

Hip hip (hoorah)!

16.

hôkele

[HOH' keh leh]

hotel

17.

home

[hoh' meh]

home

18.

huka

[hoo' kah]

hook

19.

hupa

[hoo' pah]

hoop

20.

kaimana

[kai' mah nah]

diamond

21.

kaina

[kai' nah]

kind, kind of

22.

kakalina

[kah' kah lee' nah]

gasoline, Katherine

23.

kalakoa

[kah' lah koh' (w)ah]

calico

24.

kalamela

[kah' lah meh' lah]

caramel

24.

kalaunu

[kah lau' noo]

crown, clown

25.

kalena

[kah leh' nah]

talent

26.

Kristo

[krees' toh]

Christ

27.

Kamipulu!

[kah' mee poo' loo!]

Damn fool!

28.

kamu

[kah' moo]

gum

29.

Kanakaloka

kah loh' kah]

Santa Claus

30.

kanakalû

[kah nah kah LOO']

kangaroo

31.

kanakê

[kah nah KEH']

candy

32.

Kanapapiki!

[kah' nah pah pee' kee]

Son of a bitch!

33.

kanapî

[kah nah PEE']

centipede

34.

kaona

[kao' nah]

town

35.

kâpena

[KAH' peh nah]

captain

36.

kapioka

[kah' pee (y)oh' kah]

tapioca

37.

kapu

[kah' poo]

tub, cap

38.

Keaka

[keh (y)ah' kah]

Jack, as in cards

39.

keka

[keh' kah]

sex, as in gender

40.

kelaki

[keh lah' kee]

celery

41.

kele

[keh' leh]

jelly

42.

kelepona

[keh' leh poh' nah]

telephone

43.

kelikoli

[keh' lee koh' lee]

territory

44.

kî

[KEE']

key

45.

kîkâ

[KEE' KAH']

guitar

46.

kike

[kee' keh]

kitty

47.

kilika

[kee lee' kah]

silk

48.

kinamona

[kee' nah moh' nah]

cinnamon

49.

kini

[kee' nee]

tin, as in tin can

50.

Kipue!

[kee pue'!]

Keep away!

51.

kô`ala

[KOH' ah lah]

coals (to roast over)

52.

kôkô

[KOH' KOH']

cocoa

53.

koloaka

[koh' loh (w)ah' kah]

soda water

54.

kopa

[koh' pah]

soap

55.

kope

[koh' peh]

coffee

54.

kuawa

[koo (w)ah' vah]

guava

55.

kueka

[koo (w)eh' kah]

sweater

56.

kuki

[koo' kee]

cookie

57.

kûkû

[KOO' KOO']

cuckoo

58.

kupa

[koo' pah]

soup

59.

laiki

[lai' kee]

rice

60.

laina

[lai' nah]

line

61.

laki

[lah' kee]

lucky

62.

Leiko!

[lei' koh!]

Let go!

63.

leka

[leh' kah]

letter

64.

loio

[loi' (y)oh]

lawyer

65.

loke

[loh' keh]

rose

66.

Lukau!

[loo kau'!]

Look out!

67.

mâkâ

[MAH' KAH']

mark, marker

68.

makika

[mah kee' kah]

mosquito

69.

manakô

[mah nah KOH']

mango

70.

Mele Kalikimaka!

[meh' leh kah' lee kee mah' kah]

Merry Christmas!

71.

nematoda

[neh' mah toh' dah]

Nematoda, parasitic invertebrates

72.

nûpepa

[NOO' peh pah]

newspaper

73.

`Ololaiki!

[oh' loh lai' kee]

All right!

74.

pai

[pai']

pie

75.

paila

[pai' lah]

pile (a heap, a lot)

76.

paina

[pai' nah]

pine, as in tree; pint

77.

palai

[pah lai']

fry

78.

pâma

[PAH' mah]

palm

79.

papaia

[pah pai' (y)ah]

papaya

80.

pekunia

[peh' koo nee' (y)ah]

petunia

81.

pepa

[peh' pah]

paper

82.

pêpê / pê

[PEH' PEH'] / [PEH']

baby / babe

83.

piano

[pee (y)ah' noh]

piano

84.

pika

[pee' kah]

pizza

85.

pîkake

[PEE' kah keh]

peacock

86.

pika pua

[pee' kah poo' (w)ah]

pitcher flower (vase)

87.

pila

[pee' lah]

fiddle

88.

pine

[pee' neh]

pin

89.

pîwa

[PEE' vah]

fever

90.

pola

[poh' lah]

bowl

91.

polû

[poh LOO']

blue

92.

pôpoki

[POH' poh kee]

cat, from "poor pussy"

93.

uaki

[oo (w)ah' kee]

watch

94.

uea

[oo (w)eh' (y)ah]

wire

95.

waina

[wai' nah] / [vai' nah]

wine, vine

96.

waiolina

[wai' (y)oh lee' nah]

violin

97.

walanuka

[wah' lah noo' kah]

walnut

98.

wanila

[vah nee' lah]

vanilla

99.

weleweka

[veh' leh veh' kah]

velvet

100.

wîneka

[VEE' neh kah]

vinegar

101.

Wô!

[WOH'!]

Whoa!

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