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There is only a limited amount of knowledge that one can impart at a workshop. The
following lessons are presented with extended learning aids, including links to enhance and
further your Hawaiian language learning experience:
I. Greetings :: Nâ Aloha:
Phonetic pronunciation:
Translation into English:
Correct: [ah loh' hah]
Aloha! alo = presence
Incorrect: [ah LOH' hah!]
hâ = (Divine) breath
[ah low hah!] [ah LOH
More than a greeting, it is a blessing.
HAH'!]
Aloha to all of us!
Aloha kâkou! [ah loh' hah KAH' kou!]
(More than two of us)
Aloha kâua! [ah loh' hah KAH oo-(w)ah!] Aloha to you and me! (Two of us)
Aloha e (Inoa)! [ah loh' hah-(y)eh (Inoa)!] Aloha to (Name)!
Hûi [HOO'-(w)ee!] Halloo! Yoo hoo!
[ah loh' hah-AH hoo'-(w)ee
Aloha â hui hou! Aloha until (we) meet again.
hou!]
Origins: ? - Marquesas / Tahiti ---> Hawai`i. Post contact: Hawaiian population was
decimated from 1,000,000 to 40,000. Missionaries from New England converted Hawaiian
into a written language. Hawaiians soon became the most literate in the world; at one time, up
to 90% of the Hawaiian population read and wrote their once oral-only language.
Over time, English usage dominated and the Hawaiian language receded; 25 years ago, the
number of native Hawaiian speakers was down to ~2000. Like the nênê, the endangered
Hawaiian goose, the Hawaiian language was on the brink of extinction. Pidgin (a.k.a. Hawai`i
Creole English), an amalgam of Hawaiian, English, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and
Portuguese words, among others, has helped to preserve its words, as well as its grammatical
and intonation patterns. In the 1980's, the Hawaiian language (a.k.a. ka `ôlelo Hawai`i) was
revived with the Hawaiian Renaissance.
Today, there are more than 10,000 speakers and the number is growing. Hawaiian and English
are now the two official languages of Hawai`i.
We honor our kûpuna by heeding them: "If you kill the language, you kill the culture." Keep
the culture alive by learning Hawaiian. It is never too late.
10 Hawaiian Vowels:
5 vowels:
a e i o u
[pronounced: ah eh ee oh oo]
What's a kahakô?
8 Hawaiian Consonants:
h, k, l, m, n, p, w, `
[pronounced: heh, peh, keh, lah, moo, noo, peh, veh, `oh kee nah]
What's an `okina?
It is a diacritical mark that looks like " a tiny "6" with the hole filled in." Known
in English as a "glottal stop," it signifies a break in the breath, as in "oh-oh."
Because `okina is recognized as a consonant, in and of its self, there are eight (8)
consonants in the Hawaiian language.
Thus, there are 18 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet, and NOT the frequently erroneously
reported 12 letters.
Here is a graphic that depicts the exact representations of the kahakô and the `okina:
Graphic, courtesy of The Royal Hawaiian Band
Unfortunately, to date, the Internet does not support the faithful rendering of these diacritical
marks, although efforts to rectify this situation are underway. The closest renderings of the
diacritical marks necessary for the proper pronunciation, spelling, and comprehension of
Hawaiian words employ the caret (^) to represent the kahakô and the backward quote mark
(`) to represent the `okina, as used on this page.
Diacritical marks are important to pronunciation. Use them where they are required.
You CAN make them on your word-processor. Here's how.
To further your learning:
Ka Pî`âpâ Hawai`i :: The Hawaiian Alphabet
Why is Hawaii spelled Hawai`i?
A List of Common Mispronunciations of Hawaiian Words
Common Mispronunciations of Hawaiian Place Names
V. Colors & Numbers :: Nâ Waiho`olu`u & Nâ Huahelu:
Learn to sing the "color song":
Phonetic pronunciation:
[ooh' lah ooh' lah, meh' leh meh' leh, poh' nee, poh LOO', eh' leh eh' leh]
Translation:
Red, yellow, purple, blue, black
Phonetic pronunciation:
[ah lah' nee, AH kah' lah, keh' oh keh' oh, AH hee nah hee' nah, OH' mah' oh mah' oh]
Translation: Orange, pink, white, gray, green
Further your learning:
Colors :: Nâ Waiho`olu`u
More on Colors
Learn to count in Hawaiian:
Phonetic pronunciation:
[oh' leh, hoh oh kah' hee, eh loo-(w)ah, eh koh' loo, eh HAH', eh lee' mah, eh-(w)oh noh,
eh hee' koo, eh vah loo, ei' vah, oo' mee]
Further your learning:
Numbers :: Nâ Huahelu
More on Numbers
Learn to pronounce the words correctly. Hawaiian is too beautiful for it to be trashed with
mispronunciations which distort and obscure the intended meanings.
Rules of Thumb:
• "W" sounds like "V" or "W" when it starts a word or follows "a".
Examples: Welina! [weh lee' nah] or [veh lee' nah] = Greeting;
Hawai`i [hah wai' ee] or [hah vai' ee]
• "W" sounds like "V" when it follows "e" or "i. ". Mnemonic:"Vei"
Examples: iwi [ee' vee] = bone; `Ewa [eh' vah]
• "W" sounds like "W" when it follows "o" or "u." Mnemonic: "Wou"
Examples: wôwô [WOH WOH] = roar; kûwili [KOO wee' lee] = spin
ikaika [ee kai' kah] : strong makewai [mah keh vai'] : thirsty
nâwaliwali [NAH vah lee vah lee] : weak kena [keh' nah] : quenched
nani [nah' nee] : pretty
nohea [noh heh-(y)ah] : handsome akamai [ah kah mai'] : smart
pupuka [poo poo' kah] : ugly hûpô [HOO' POH'] : stupid
hau`oli [hau oh' lee] : happy pono [poh' noh] : proper, righteous, balanced
kaumaha [kau mah' hah] : sad pupule [poo poo' leh] : crazy, insane
Rules of Thumb:
Use ka for words that begin with
a, e, o, k, and `okina.