Hawaiian Word of the Day: August 28th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published August 28, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

Mākaukau means able, competent, capable, skilled, expert, prepared. We often hear a kumu hula call out that one-word question to her students — “Mākaukau?” — and the answer is always ʻae – yes.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hawaiian Word of the Day: August 27th

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Pau is one of the most commonly used, and misused, of Hawaiian words. Pau kahana – the work is finished. Yes, pau means finished, ended, all done, final, even consumed and destroyed. Work is finished, so you can say “pau kahana.” But don?t say “I'm pau,” that would mean you are dead or finished. And don't ask, “Are you pau?”
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: August 26th

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Especially during pageants and parades, we see flowers that have been designated as the island flower for each major island. The kaunaʻoa of Lanaʻi is such a flower. It is the native dodder, a parasitic vine belonging to the morning glory family.