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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: March 25th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published March 25, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

Pulelehua is the Hawaiian word for butterfly. There are so many beautiful butterflies in Hawaiʻi, it's good to know what to call them.

Pulelehua is the Hawaiian word for butterfly. There are so many beautiful butterflies in Hawaiʻi, it's good to know what to call them.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hema means left or left side. When you watch a marching group pass by, you will often hear, “hema, hema, hema, ʻākau hema,” or “left, left, left, right, left.” It also means “south,” as in Kona hema – south Kona.
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Hale is a word we all use in Hawaiʻi whether we speak Hawaiian or not. And hale, meaning house or building, is our Hawaiian Word of the Day. There are many kinds of hale from the hale ʻaina, or restaurant, to the hale pule, or church.