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Koʻolau means windward. It is a very appropriate name for a mountain range that runs up the windward side of the island of Oʻahu. It can be used as an adjective too, to describe something that is on the windward side. -
Our Hawaiian word for today, hāpai, is one most people in Hawaiʻi already know and use, even in English conversation. It means to carry and is most often used to describe a woman who is expecting a baby. It also means “to lift, raise, hoist, hold up, or support.”
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Hoʻomana means religion. For example, Ka Hoʻomana o Iesu Kristo o nā Poʻe Hoʻāno o nā Lā Hope Nei is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. -
Hapalua means “half,” a very handy word. Hapalua kālā would be a half dollar, and hapalua kālani would be a half gallon. -
Helu kuhi means zip code. Remember to use a helu kuhi, or zip code, when addressing your envelopes! -
Meʻe is a hero, heroine, or an important person. For many of our youngsters, their meʻe is Superman, for others, it might be you. Do you have a favorite meʻe? A meʻe punahele? (A favorite hero?) -
Neʻe means to move along little by little, as many of us do every day in heavy traffic. It can also be used to tell someone that you have moved from one place to another – ua neʻe? – I have moved. -
We all fill out forms, and you should know that those blanks you must fill in are hakahaka. Hakahaka just means “vacant space,” like those blanks on a form. -
ʻAle is a wave out at sea, not to be confused with nalu, a wave or surf nearing land. A better English equivalent might be a billow. -
Hawaiian word for today is kaʻa mio. Kaʻa is a “car,” and by adding mio that makes it a sports car. Mio means to move swiftly. You might not own a kaʻa mio, but we all see them driving by. And now you know what to call them in Hawaiian. -
Pāʻia means noisy. It is best known as a small town in East Maui, and because it is so often misspelled, it is mispronounced. -
If you've ever walked the beach looking for a glass ball, you'll enjoy today's word of the day: pōpō aniani which means glass ball. Pōpō means “ball,” and aniani means “glass.”
