© 2025 Hawaiʻi Public Radio

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Keep HPR strong. Become a member and support the news, talk and music you rely on. Make a monthly gift of $10/month. Donate here.

Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: July 21st

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published July 21, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

Pīkake is our name for the fragrant jasmine flower, and it is also the Hawaiian word for "peacock."

Pīkake is our name for the fragrant jasmine flower, and it is also the Hawaiian word for "peacock."

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

More Episodes

Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: September 24th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Kikowaena means “center.” You can use it to describe such things as a shopping center. Ala Moana Center, for example, is kikowaena kūʻai ʻo Ala Moana.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: September 25th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Most people who live in Hawaiʻi know what a maile lei is, but it is one of those Hawaiian words that is all too often mispronounced. Maile is a native twining shrub with shiny, fragrant leaves, used for decorations and lei, especially on important occasions. Maile is pronounced “mai-lei,” not to be confused with the Leeward Oʻahu community called Māʻili.