Hawaiian Word of the Day: August 22nd

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published August 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

Ask any fourth grader, “What is Hawaiʻi's state bird?” and you will hear nēnē. Nēnē, the endangered Hawaiian goose, still lives in the wild on Maui and on the Big Island.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hawaiian Word of the Day: August 21st

Leilani Poliʻahu

Another very commonly used Hawaiian word is nani. Nani means beautiful. It is often used in names as in Puanani for “beautiful flower.” Nani no ʻoe – you are beautiful – is a nice expression we hope you hear everyday.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: August 20th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Yesterday we told you about mauka, a direction meaning “at the upland.” Today's Hawaiian Word of the Day is makai, meaning “at the sea” the opposite direction of mauka. It is actually two words: ma meaning “at” and kai meaning “sea.”