ʻalani
ʻalani is the Hawaiian phrase for a type of orange-colored plumeria flower.
The term refers specifically to a variety of plumeria known for its orange color.
Did you know?
- The word ʻalani begins with an ʻokina, the glottal stop mark. Without this tiny mark, the word's meaning and pronunciation change entirely.
- In traditional Hawaiian botanical classification, colors like the one described by alani are often more central to identifying a plant than its physical shape.
- In Hawaiian, the word alani can also refer to the color 'orange' itself, acting as both a noun for the fruit or flower and an adjective for the hue.
Examples in context
- Makemake au i ka ʻalani.I want the ʻalani.
Example conversation
Kai and Noelani are walking through a garden.
- KaiHe aha kēia pua, Noelani?What is this flower, Noelani?
- NoelaniʻO ʻalani kēlā pua, Kai.That flower is an orange plumeria, Kai.
- KaiHe nani loa ka ʻalani.The orange plumeria is very beautiful.
- NoelaniʻAe, he nani ia.Yes, it is beautiful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ʻalani, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
