Hawaiian Word of the Day: May 1st

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published May 1, 2025 at 12:00 AM HST

Since May Day is Lei Day in Hawaiʻi, there are many lei day pageants happening at this time of the year. Most include a royal court, and a hōʻike — a show! Hōʻike means “to show.”

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

More Episodes

Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: June 18th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Many of our visitors to Hawaiʻi come from Japan, and we call them kepanī. It is, as you may have guessed, a transliteration of the English word Japanese.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: June 17th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Akamai, for smart, is one of the first Hawaiian words many people learn. It also means "clever, expert, skillful." If you see someone doing something very clever, it's okay to say Akamai ʻoe or you're very smart.