She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. Example: “You wanna go get some grindz? This popular slang phrase has become a popular brand name seen on shirts and logos around Hawaii. Also, refer to a patois. You’ll also often hear “rahja” or “rahja dat”, which is derived from “roger that”, and can also mean “okay”, but usually with a bit more emphasis. Pronounced a-lo-ha Okay, so this is an easy one to remember. Example: “Oh man. ever hear an older person say (in scolding) “gun fun it”! As seen in Jurassic Park and Lost! Maybe you end up walking on the beach or stopping to see if a friend is home. Kōkua luau is an extension of the saying, and directly translates to a stronger form of assistance, meaning “to contribute.” The most common phrase you will hear relating to this word, is “Mahalo for your kōkua,” which basically means “thanks for your help!” Immigrant workers came in waves from different countries to work in the sugarcane fields. This is a catch-all word that can mean just about anything. If you know of a local business that could use some extra support during these times, please nominate them here: Directly translating to "after work," pau hana is a celebration of the end of the work day. The lua is a bathroom. Example: “I went snorkeling out by Makua Beach and the water had choke opihi.”. With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. We’re sure you know at least one word for saying hello and goodbye in Hawaiian but there are so many other useful words that are just as easy to remember. Example: A: “You wanna eat?” | B: “Shoots! If you need some help pronouncing this one, try “I no care” slowly … and there you have it. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Let’s go!”. Quite literally, delicious food. Join a Dolphins and You guided dolphin swim tour to snorkel with dolphins and sea turtles on the west coast of Oahu. It means one has the perfect relationship with the creative energy of the universe. A Hawaii local never travels seaside, but always goes “makai.” Likewise, a local never goes toward the mountains, but “mauka.” 6. What does haole (pronounced howlie) mean. Join a Nature and You hiking tour to head Mauka into the Oahu rainforest to a tour of Manoa Falls. From traditional Hawaiian phrases to modern slang and pidgin terms, these 17 common words and phrases used throughout the islands might make visitors swear Hawaii locals have their own language – which they technically do, of course. That was some ono kalua pig we had at the poi factory!”, Means after work or also an after work drink, kind of like happy hour. Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. Technically Hawaiian slang is a mixture of two or more separate languages. How many of these common phrases do you use on a regular basis? Instead of having the kids grow up saying that. While most people from Hawaii don’t exclusively speak Hawaiian – except those who call Niihau home – there are a variety of words and phrases from the Hawaiian language that are still frequently used today. Hana Hoe means "one more time" and mostly said at concerts or gigs when the crowd wants to hear one more song. Like Da Kine, this is another catchall word. We list several common Hawaiian words and meanings to enrich your trip to the Hawaiian islands. Sep 22, 2018 - Explore Anna Blanchard's board "Hawaiian phrases" on Pinterest. “Gunfunit!” comes from “confound it,” a very old fashioned way of expressing frustration. What about these 17 words only people from Hawaii understand? It is often defined as righteousness, but can also mean fair, moral, or proper. First off, if someone yells “hui” in your directions, it’s akin to … In this post you will find 65 Great Hawaii State Slogans, Hawaii State Motto, Hawaii State Nicknames and Hawaiian Sayings. Your family, which can consist of immediate family members, extended relatives, and friends. This is easily my favorite slang term used in Hawaii. The half-day tour also includes hula entertainment, an ocean water slide and taro bun burger lunch! Thanks to our diverse culture, this means someone of mixed racial or ethnic heritage, especially involving Asian or Pacific Islander background. Wahine and Kane, the Hawaiian words for women and men, are often used in bathroom signs throughout the islands. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Also potential definitions: it’s not possible, cannot. From understanding the weather report to reading menus, you'll need the below vocabulary. Junk is Hawaiian slang for not good. Example: “I got one hapa friend who likes to surf.”. Just click here to learn more and book your tour today! small kid time – Equivalent to saying “back when I was younger”: I know her since small kid time. In Hawaii will energizes you the fresh, floral air energizes you. e - eh, as in met: kane In the Hawaiian language a symbol directly over a vowel called a kahak么 indicates that the vowel sound is to be elongated. There are options of course: Kona Kitchen is great for people homesick for… However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. You so irrahz. Aviva Patz. Example: “Hey! There may be quite a bit of food and drinks there, so we have some Hawaiian words just in case you make a few friends or spill your drink. On an island everything is either “makai” (ocean side) or “mauka” (mountain side). If something is bad, a local will most definitely call it “junk.” 7. Example: “Everyone in Hawaii is filled with aloha for each other” ainokea. It means “thank you” and is one of the most often used Hawaiian words you’ll hear. Kama’aina literally translates to "child of the land," but generally refers to Hawaii locals. What does junk mean? Feast, party. The ‘okina adds a glottal stop between words or sounds, like saying “uh-oh.”. We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life. Top Hawaiian Words and Phrases: ‘Aina – land, earth Akamai – smart, clever, intelligent Ali’i – royalty Mauka – inland, towards the mountains (commonly used for giving directions) Makai -towards the ocean (commonly used for giving directions) Manō – … You might not hear this greeting as often as "Howzit," but it essentially means the same thing: how are you? "Inspired from the "People Try" videos from Buzzfeed! You might see this on signs so definitely pay attention so you have a hassle-free vacation. Whatever happens, happens, you go with the flow because it’s all part of the adventure. slippahs – Equivalent to “slippers,” meaning flip-flop sandals. Pidgin is not an official language–although it certainly can sound foreign at times! Get more stories delivered right to your email. Cusstionary.com - The Internet’s cussing dictionary The ‘okina adds a glottal stop between words or sounds, like saying “uh-oh.”. sistah – The feminine equivalent of brah. Example: “Wow! In Hawaii, choke is a slang term that means "a lot of something.". So tasty it broke the mouth! You’ll have lots of chances to practice all of the Hawaiian slang you just learned. Ma'i Ka'i - Hawaiian - I am fine This one was made famous by the animated movie Lilo & Stitch. Hawaii slang speaking like a local! To get you ready for your Hawaiian vacation, we’ve put together a list of words that you’re likely to hear while visiting Hawaii! You can also just say “pau” for when something is finished. The meaning and pronunciation! Visit Umauma Falls By Horseback On This Unique Tour In Hawaii, Escape To Kekaha Kai State Park For A Beautiful Hawaii Nature Scene, The Gorgeous 3.1-Mile Hike In Hawaii’s Ko’olau Mountains That Will Lead You Past Eight Waterfalls, Hunt For Sea Glass While You Walk Along Hawaii’s Ke Iki Beach, 12 Silly Sayings That Will Only Make Sense If You’re From Hawaii, 15 Words You’ll Only Understand If You Live In Hawaii, You Might Be From Hawaii If You Do These 15 Weird Things, If You Can Pronounce These 14 Words, You’ve Lived In Hawaii For Far Too Long, these 17 words only people from Hawaii understand. It’s a great part of our culture that everyone should experience! The Hottest Spots To See Sea Turtles in Hawaii, The Top 5 Facts About Diamond Head Crater, Oahu. Any foodies that visit will be delighted to find that you can get some awesome food here. Example: “How the waves?” “Junk. Hawaiian Pidgin (alternately, Hawaiian Creole English or HCE, known locally as Pidgin) is an English-based creole language spoken in HawaiÊ»i.It has 600,000 native speakers and 400,000 who speak it as a second language. As in, "Braddah, let’s go to Rainbow Drive In for some ono grinds.". Forbidden, taboo, keep out. Basically: happy hour. The Hawaiian Islands are unique in more ways than any one person could count – and that includes our language, vocabulary, and local diction. If you need some help pronouncing this one, try “I no care” slowly … and there you have it. shoots den – Equivalent to saying “shoots then,” meaning “OK, goodbye” or “OK, see you later.”. Junk. Kapu is the Hawaiian word for forbidden, not allowed, stay out. It’s also the name of the system of social law that existed in ancient Hawaii where many things were forbidden. Quite literally, "thank you very much. Aloha can mean lots of things, like Hello, goodbye, love, affection, kindness, or graciousness. Hawaiian Phrases Last Will And Testament Almost Friday Nova Era Keep Calm And Drink Into The Fire Esfj Keep Calm Quotes In the Hawaiian thought, being pono means being in perfect alignment and balance with all things in life. Its also where the name of the famous surf and skate brand came from. Just click here to learn more and book your tour today! Hawaiian words and phrases for travelers. I go anyway.”, This comes from the English for “Broke the Mouth” and is something you say after you had food that was so delicious you couldn’t stand it. Like “my dolphin tour is pau, but I wanna hana hou!”, Example: “You got any plans for pau hana?”. Here’s how you say hello in Hawaiian and do basic Hawaiian greetings. and is easily a shortened version of "How is it going?". She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu. Example: “I saw my friend down the way and threw him a shaka.”. Let’s start with the Hawaiian basics. This term perfectly captures the laid back Hawaii lifestyle: It usually means going for a drive around the island just for the fun of it with no set plan or destination in mind. It’s the universal hand gesture of Hawaii that can be used as a form of thanks, a greeting, or a good bye. OTHER TOURS TO REOPEN IN THE FUTURE. We know you’ll be using this phrase, which means “Once more, again.”  Especially after you join in on our dolphin swim tour, Dolphins and You! Want to test your knowledge? Hi – howzit. My husband and I live in Seattle, Washington. Delicious, scrumptious. Hawaiian pidgin slang Hawaiian slang is founded on the long-standing nearby pidgin language that has advanced into the traditional culture and utilized by a large portion of the neighbourhood people on the islands. It’s what we say when describing the amazing food you’ll eat on the Island and You tour of Oahu! Example: “I heard the Dolphins and You boat has a lua. We take you all around Oahu and share the stories, histories, culture and food of this amazing island. Learn some Hawaiian phrases that are brought into Pidgin. Hawaii is a wonderful mixing bowl of different cultures and no where is this more noticeable than in the local Hawaiian slang that you hear when visiting the islands. what the heck does that mean? Learn how your comment data is processed. The Hawaiian slang phrase kōkua simply means to help or assist. Thank goodness!”. “Yo, dat some ono kau kau!”. The first waves of immigration where the Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese who needed to communicate with Haole (english speaking) bosses and Hawaiian locals. This is one of our favorites and you’ll see us doing them a lot on the Dolphin and You tour. I grind so much ono food I brok da mout!”. If you join us on the Island and You tour, you might just hear the story of how this symbol was started on the Windward side of Oahu. Hawaiian slang short for irritating, annoying. VIEW TOUR DETAILS. Example: Stop that complaining. Left da beach early.” Kapu. Hawaiian Slang Phrases. This tropical greeting is known around the world, but its literal meaning is ‘love’. This common Hawaiian greeting essentially translates to "What’s up, man?" Anonymous. You might also hear bits and pieces of Hawaiian Pidgin, a multi-cultural slang that developed during Hawaii’s plantation era. Another is "Kannakattack", which means "eat till you sleep". 4 years ago. Once you’ve memorized those Hawaiian phrases, make sure you know these 11 things to know before booking a Hawaii vacation. This is another way to say “okay”. Though English is the primary language of Hawaii, the centuries-old Hawaiian language is still actively used. Directly translated from Hawaiian, "love of the land," Aloha Aina is a term to describe the nurturing and care of our land. Example: No go Stairway to Heaven hike. ... Jack Johnson, the famous Hawaii-born musician, embodied the spirit of kōkua when he started the Kōkua Hawaii Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides environmental education and activities to schools and communities in Hawaii. If you find yourself at your first lu’au, or Hawaiian feast, you’re in for a treat. The long history of immigration and ethnic diversity brought a mixture of languages. If you have a lot of something, then you got “choke” things. That place is kapu for civilians.”. You might think you just got in a fight, but really, you got “in one scrap.” 8. Love Hawaii? Everything from Japanese, Portuguese, English, Chinese, Korean and Filipino mixed with the local Hawaiian and nearby Polynesian languages to form a Hawaiian Creole, or pidgin. Definitely a first stop after flying for hours over the Pacific Ocean! VIEW UPDATED SAFETY PROTOCOLS. This one was made famous by the animated movie. Hawaiian slang is mostly based on the long standing local pidgin dialect that has made its way into popular culture and used by most of the local folks on the islands. 2. So, if you’re worried about not knowing the lingo, here’s an alphabetical list of 38 Pidgin and Hawaiian phrases that will help you not get lost in translation. For example, if you jump in the water and you see 100 dolphins swimming under you, then the water got “choke dolphins”. ", A not so polite slang term meaning "butt.". Example: “During the holidays I’m going to go visit my ohana on the mainland.”. Stay Kapu. Hawaiian-Words is the world’s most popular Hawaiian-English dictionary, translation and learning website. Hana hou!”. From traditional Hawaiian phrases to modern slang and pidgin terms, these 17 common words and phrases used throughout the islands might make visitors swear Hawaii locals have their own language – which they technically do, of course. Hawaiian Swear Words - Learn how to curse in Hawaiian. 8. Enter your e-mail address for things to do, restaurants to try and much more! Originally Published: June 19, 2018. CASH APP: $hawaiimami if you want to support the channel! OAHU’S FAVORITE DOLPHIN SWIM TOUR HAS RESUMED! Common Hawaiian Phrases HAWAIIANPHRASE& MEANING& Aloha$ Hello,$goodbye,$love$ Ahuihou$ Unit$we$meet$again,$goodbye$ Aloha$Kakahiaka$ Good$morning$ Someone of mixed race, of course. 0 0. It has a bunch if meanings. Go tell da kine that I gotta take da kine to my house.”. See more ideas about hawaiian phrases, hawaiian, hawaiian quotes. Definitely enjoy one while you’re here…even though you’re not working . Use Aloha kakahiaka to say, ‘good morning’, Aloha ‘auinalā for ‘good afternoon’ and Aloha ahiahifor ‘good evening’. Hawaii State Motto “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Âina i ka Pono” (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness) Hawaii State Nicknames The Aloha State Paradise of the Pacific The […] You can use it to say “hi,” “hello,” “What’s up?” or “How are you?” 4. "If you stop by my house, I'll give you a lick! Puka means hole, usually found in shirts or other items. Top 28 Basic Hawaiian Phrases. Hana hou Didn’t even mind the commercials but I need more. Hawaiian Idioms, Catch Phrases, Expletives and Interjections Idioms, Catch Phrases, Expletives and Interjections. Aloha means hello, goodbye and love. Quite literally, "I can’t." The kahakō, or macron, is the line on top of a letter indicating a long vowel. Pidgin phrases are commonly spoken among locals … [mee kee oi' !] It’s Gud Funnit and it’s akin to saying “God Dammit”, but without taking the Lord’s name in vain. ). Use it as much as you like while you’re here…we don’t mind! Hawaiian pidgin evolved from the sugar industry which began in the mid 1850’s on Maui. ... Manini is slang for stingy, and has nothing to do with the striped reef fish. Here is a great video we found quizzing some of these Hawaiian slang (and one or two that we didn’t cover). Meaning welcome or enter, "E Komo Mai," is perhaps one of the most common phrases you’ll hear in Hawaii. Join an Island and You bus tour of Oahu to see Oahu’s best little-known sights and sample delicious island foods. A apostrophe like symbol called an `okina indicates a quick pause in the word, as in "ah-ah" for the word a`a. In Hawaii, Aloha means more than ‘hello’; it expresses wishes for a positive and respectful life. While you won’t need to learn to fluently speak Hawaiian for your vacation, I want to share some useful Hawaiian words and phrases to know for your trip. This is a bonus phrase and is Hawaiian pidgin slang. Example: “Go down two miles and then stop when you see the big banyan tree on the makai side of the road. It means “thank you” and is one of the most often used Hawaiian words you’ll hear. Example: “After I pau hana I’m heading to a lu’au at my friend’s house.”, You’ve probably heard this one. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. Example: “Ho, brah. It is often used when giving directions to indicate if you should be heading towards the water or towards the mountains. No, we’re not referring to the common verb in the English language. Be sure to check out our Island and You tour. And you should definitely go to one while you’re here. If haole refers to someone of Caucasian descent, what does hapa haole mean? I’m starving!”. If you can’t remember a specific word, just say “da kine” and that is a placeholder for the thing, place, person or idea. OAHU’S FAVORITE DOLPHIN SWIM TOUR HAS RESUMED! Hello – Aloha. Ainokea. Example: “Everyone in Hawaii is filled with aloha for each other”. Thank you.Follow me @hawaii_mami on ALL social media! You play the ukulele so good! What does kapu mean? Hawaiian Pidgin English, known locally as Pidgin, is spoken by many HawaiÊ»i residents, and words and phrases from ʻōlelo HawaiÊ»i (Hawaiian language) has also become the norm here in the Islands. 1. While we continue to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, please take proper precautions or add them to your bucket list to see at a later date. Often seen as a placeholder word with no true definition, da kine is often used as the English equivalent to whatchamacallit, you know, for when you really don’t want to use real words. The store you’re looking for is on the mauka side.”. This popular slang phrase has become a popular brand name seen on shirts and logos around Hawaii. 5 Slang Phrases That Perfectly Sum Up Why Hawaii Is So Damn Happy. We’ll start with our favorite one, which you’re likely to hear everywhere you go! Thank you! Example: “You better stay out of the military base. Source(s): https://shrinke.im/a0MTb. I think it means “god damn it”! Hopefully you will be doing a lot of this, which means to eat, or it can also mean good food, as in “grindz” (with a ‘z’). [My grandmother used to say cunfunnit, not with a “g.”]. Casual Hawaiian Words and Slang. Try pronouncing the following words out loud as we introduce you to some popular Hawaiian slang words. , Example: “Mahalo for helping me clean up after the lu’au!”. It includes traditional Hawaiian words as well as Hawaiian pidgin -- a unique form of creole that draws from the state's ethnically diverse background (Portuguese, Cantonese, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, etc. Example: “You can’t go swimming with me? Hawaiians, however, may be disappointed to find that the Hawaiian and Chinese food here can be lacking. You will generally hear it used as a greeting. This popular slang phrase has become a popular brand name seen on shirts and logos around Hawaii. The meaning and pronunciation! A hui hou translates to "until we meet again," and sounds a lot nicer than simply saying goodbye. A term used when talking about ono grinds… Broke da mout is used when your food is so good it basically "broke your mouth." What you say when you are extremely thankful. VIEW, Your family, which can consist of immediate family members, extended relatives, and friends. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Example: “You can’t go swimming with me?