Hawaiian Word of the Day: April 4th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published April 4, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

Most of us have seen the Hawaiian word ʻōpala, and know it to mean rubbish or garbage, so by adding the causative prefix hoʻo, we can make it mean “to litter.” The new word is hoʻōpala.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: June 25th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Although kōlea has many meanings, the most common perhaps is as the Hawaiian name of the Pacific Golden Plover - a bird that arrives in Hawaiʻi in August or September, and returns to the Arctic in April or May.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: June 24th

Leilani Poliʻahu

We hear the word tūtū used so often, but many of us not know that kūkū is another perhaps more traditional pronunciation for today's Hawaiian word. It means "granny, grandma, grandpa," or any relative or close friend of your grandparents' generation. You can say kūkū kane for grandfather, or kūkū wahine for grandmother, but kūkū by itself will always suffice.