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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

March 4th: Helu kuhi

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published March 4, 2026 at 12:00 AM HST

Helu kuhi means zip code.

Helu kuhi means zip code. Remember to use a helu kuhi, or zip code, when addressing your envelopes!

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

More Episodes

Hawaiian Word of The Day

May 15th: Luahine

Leilani Poliʻahu

We told you about ʻelemakule, which means old man, and today's Hawaiian Word of the Day is luahine, or old woman. It can also mean old lady. Both are proper terms, and it is perfectly all right to describe our older friends as ʻelemakule and luahine.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

May 14th: Makua

Leilani Poliʻahu

Makua is a very general term for parent, or any relative of the parent's generation, as in an uncle or aunt. Since the main stock of a plant is thought of as the parent, you can also call it a makua. You can modify it to be more specific, as makua kāne for father.