he hopuna
The Hawaiian phrase for "a sentence" is he hopuna.
he hopuna refers to a set of words that expresses a complete thought.
What does it mean word for word?
The word he functions as an indefinite article meaning "a" or "an" when it is used with a noun.
Did you know?
- While hopuna refers to a grammatical sentence, it is derived from a word meaning 'to be a source' or 'to spring forth', treating a sentence as a spring of information.
- A hopuna may include 'particles' that don't have a direct English translation but signal the speaker's emotional state or the certainty of the statement.
- In traditional Hawaiian, a single word can function as a complete hopuna, such as a one-word command or exclamation, which still conveys a full thought.
Example conversation
Leilani is helping Keanu with his Hawaiian homework.
- LeilaniHe hopuna kēlā?Is that a sentence?
- KeanuʻAe, he hopuna kēlā.Yes, that is a sentence.
- LeilaniMaikaʻi, e kākau hou.Good, write another one.
- KeanuE kōkua mai, Leilani.Help me, Leilani.
