© 2025 Hawaiʻi Public Radio

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: December 28th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published December 28, 2023 at 10:32 AM HST

If you are like most families, you are still eating leftover turkey from the holidays. In Hawaiian, we call that popular bird pelehū.

If you are like most families, you are still eating leftover turkey from the holidays. In Hawaiian, we call that popular bird pelehū.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

More Episodes

Special Topics

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.”