June 8th: Pōloli

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published June 8, 2026 at 12:00 AM HST

Hungry? In Hawaiian we say pōloli. It means hungry, hunger, famine.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hawaiian Word of The Day

August 21st: Nani

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

August 20th: Makai

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.”