Hawaiian Word of the Day: February 1st

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published February 1, 2024 at 12:00 AM HST

Our Hawaiian word for today is kāpena. It too is a borrowed word, and it means captain. Use it when you talk about the captain of your favorite team, or the police captain, or the ship's captain.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

More Episodes

Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: April 16th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Mana is another Hawaiian word we often hear in English conversation. People will tell of someone or something having mana – supernatural or divine power. It is also a good adjective, and someone with a leo mana is said to have an authoritative voice.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: April 15th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Often we hear people talking about their ‘aumakua. It means a family god, or personal god, or a deified ancestor. Our ‘aumakua might be a shark or an owl, or even an inanimate object. It is said that ‘aumakua often warn and reprimand mortals in dreams and visions.