How to Say “Goodnight” in Marshallese
The Marshallese phrase for goodnight is iakwe. iakwe is used as a greeting to say goodbye or to wish someone well at the end of the day.
Marshallese is the language of the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific, where it is an official language together with English. It is also spoken by Marshallese communities in the United States, especially in Arkansas and Hawaii. Its spelling marks some letters with a line or a small hook, such as ā, ļ and ņ, for sounds that plain letters cannot show. The everyday greeting, iọkwe, also means love and compassion.
| Family | Austronesian, Micronesian |
|---|---|
| Official in | Marshall Islands |
| Where spoken | Marshall Islands, Marshallese communities in the United States |
| Script | Latin alphabet with marked letters |
| Codes | mh (ISO 639-1), mah (ISO 639-3) |
Classification: Wikidata. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
The Marshallese phrase for goodnight is iakwe. iakwe is used as a greeting to say goodbye or to wish someone well at the end of the day.
The English phrase “happy birthday” is expressed in Marshallese as Jeramon ilo rainin am.
Merry Christmas in Marshallese is Monono ilo raaneoan Nejin. This phrase is used to express good wishes during the Christmas season.
The English phrase “I hate you” is translated into Marshallese as I dīke eok.
The Marshallese word for grandma is jibu. jibu is used to refer to a grandmother in an informal manner.
The Marshallese word for girl is jiroñ. jiroñ is used to refer to a young female person.
The Marshallese word for ‘shower’ (the device used for bathing) is tutub. The word tutub refers to a device used for bathing or a shower.
The English phrase “I love you” is translated into Marshallese as Yokwe eok. Yokwe eok is an affirmation of romantic feeling.
The English phrase “be quiet” is translated into Marshallese as ikōn. ikōn is a command used to tell someone to stop making noise.
The phrase “bad words” is translated into Marshallese as naan ko nanañ.