Nui means big, greatest, grand, important, as in aliʻi nui. Hale nui would be a big house, and mea nui would be an important thing. Used as an adjective, it follows the noun. It can also mean “many or a group.”
Hawaiian Word of the Day: May 10th
![Nui means big, greatest, grand, important, as in aliʻi nui.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ace71f9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/901x751+0+0/resize/880x733!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff2%2F6a%2F97e25c4c4ad6aaba9f8e3d27dcff%2Fmay-10.png)
Nui means big, greatest, grand, important, as in aliʻi nui. Hale nui would be a big house, and mea nui would be an important thing. Used as an adjective, it follows the noun. It can also mean “many or a group.”