NamasteHawaii

Daily Hawaiian Words

Although only a few people speak Hawaiian, many Hawaiian words and pidgin (Hawaiian slang) are used in everyday speech.

Here’s a short and handy glossary of some of the words you’re likely to come across on a trip to Hawaii.

aloha    greeting used to say hello or goodbye. Aloha can also mean love.
haole    foreigner, Caucasian
hula      hawaiian form of communication using dance
imu        underground pit oven used for cooking luau
kama`aina native-Hawaiian or long-time resident
kane      man
keiki     child
lei           garland of flowers, leaves, nuts, or shells
limu     seaweed
lolo       crazy
lua         bathroom or toilet
luau     feast
mahalo     thank you
mahimahi      dolphin fish
ohana      family, relative
pali        cliff
pupu      appetizer, snack
ukulele     stringed instrument, small guitar
wahine      woman

Daily Hawaiian Gesture

The most famous gesture of Hawaii is The Shaka sign is a famous hand gesture in Hawaii that loosely translates to “mahalo” thank-you, “all right”, or the old school phrase “hang loose”. Use the shaka sign wherever and whenever you want to spread aloha.