Useful Hawaiian phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Hawaiian, a Polynesian language spoken in Hawaii.

See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.

Guide to abbreviations: inf = informal, frm = formal, sg = singular (to one person), dl = dual (to two people), pl = plural (to three or more people).

English	ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian)
Welcome	Aloha E komo mai (Come in - used when welcoming sb to your home)
Hello (General greeting)	Aloha E komo mai (Come in - used when welcoming sb to your home)
How are you?	Pehea ʻoe? (sg) Pehea ʻolua? (dl) Pehea ʻoukou? (pl)
Reply to 'How are you?'	Maikaʻi, a ʻo ʻoe? (Good, and you?)
What's your name?	ʻO wai kou inoa?
My name is ...	ʻO ... koʻu inoa
Where are you from?	No hea mai ʻoe?
I'm from ...	No ... mai au
Pleased to meet you	Hauʻoli kēia hui ʻana o kāua
Good morning (Morning greeting)	Aloha kakahiaka Aloha awakea
Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting)	Aloha ʻauinalā
Good evening (Evening greeting)	Aloha ahiahi
Goodbye (Parting phrases)	A hui hou Aloha
Good night	A hui hou Aloha
Good luck!	Pōmaikaʻi! Maikaʻi pōmaikaʻi!
Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking)	Huli pau! ʻŌkole maluna! (bottoms up - considered vulgar by some)
Bon appetit / Have a nice meal	E ʻai kāua (dl) (Let's eat!) E ʻai kākou (pl) (Let's eat!)
I understand	Maopopo iaʻu
I don't understand	ʻAʻole au maopopo Maopopo iaʻu ʻole
Yes	ʻAe
No	ʻAʻole
Maybe	Pēlā paha
I don't know	ʻAʻole au maopopo
Please speak more slowly	E ʻoluʻolu e ʻōlelo mālie E ʻōlelo mālie, ke ʻoluʻolu
Please write it down	E ʻoluʻolu e kākau iho ʻoe E kākau iho ʻoe, ke ʻoluʻolu
Do you speak English?	ʻŌlelo anei ʻoe i ka ʻōlelo Pelekāne?
Do you speak Hawaiian?	ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi 'oe?
Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?')	ʻAe, ʻano (Yes, a little) ʻAe, ʻano hiki iaʻu ke ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Yes, I speak a little Haiwaiian)
Speak to me in Hawaiian	E walaʻau mai iaʻu ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi
How do you say ... in Hawaiian?	Pehea ʻoe i ʻōlelo ai ... ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi?
Excuse me	E kala mai iaʻu!
How much is this?	ʻEhia kēia?
Sorry	E kala mai iaʻu!
Please	E ʻoluʻolu ... ... ke ʻoluʻolu (used at the end of a phrase)
Thank you	Mahalo Mahalo nui Mahalo iā ʻoe Mahalo nui loa
Reply to thank you	ʻAʻole pilikia (No problem) Noʻu ka hauʻoli (The pleasure is mine)
Where's the toilet / bathroom?	Aia i hea i ka lua?
I love you	Aloha Au Ia ʻOe Aloha No Au Ia ʻOe
Get well soon	E ola
Help!	Kōkua! Kōkua mai! Hōlina!
Fire!	Ahi!
Stop!	Hoʻopau! Hoʻokū!
Christmas greetings	Mele Kalikimaka
New Year greetings	Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou
Easter greetings	Hauʻoli Pakoa Hauʻoli Ka lā i ala hou ai ka Haku
Birthday greetings	Hauʻoli lā hānau
Congratulations!	Ho’omaika’i!
One language is never enough	ʻAʻole nō e lawa ka mākaukau ma hoʻokahi wale nō ʻōlelo
My hovercraft is full of eels Why this phrase?	Pihaʻū oʻu mokukauaheahe i nā puhi

Recordings by Naea Stevens, and translations and corrections by Samuel M. ‘Ohukani‘ohi‘a Gon III, CJ Maglinti and Lei Mahi

Download the audio files (Zip format, 573K)

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Information about Hawaiian | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel |

Links

Collections of Hawaiian phrases (some with audio)
http://www.ahapunanaleo.org/learnhawaiian/learn_shortphrases.html
http://atdpweb.soe.berkeley.edu/2130/vchan/ah.html
http://www.alohafriendsluau.com/words.html
http://www.royalelephant.com/hawaii/guides/hawaiian.htm

Phrases in Polynesian languages

Hawaiian, Māori, Niuean, Rapa Nui, Samoan, Tahitian, Tokelauan, Tongan, Tuvaluan

Phrases in other languages

If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.

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