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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

March 27th: Pololei

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published March 27, 2026 at 12:00 AM HST

Pololei means correct. Pololei ʻoe means “you are correct.”

Pololei means correct. Pololei ʻoe means “you are correct.”

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hawaiian Word of The Day

May 6th: Līhuʻe

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One of the most commonly mispronounced place names in Hawaiʻi nei is Līhuʻe, the name of a city and district on Kauaʻi. It means “a cold chill,” and that's the feeling most Hawaiian speakers feel when they hear this beautiful name mispronounced. Write it out with a kahakō over the first vowel, and an ʻokina before the last one. Then say it.
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May 5th: Kapiʻolani

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Today's Hawaiian Word of the Day is most often used as a place name. Kapiʻolani is a medical center, a tree-lined boulevard, a park, a school, a playground, and so much more. All are named for Queen Kapiʻolani, wife of Kalākaua. Literally, it means “the arch of heaven,” and refers to the beautiful rainbows so frequently seen in Hawaiʻi. Rainbows signify the presence of royalty in old Hawaiʻi.