pēpē
The Hawaiian word for baby is pēpē. Wiktionary also lists keiki.
Meaning: very young human being (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian |
|---|
| pēpē |
| keiki |
The term refers to a very young human being.
Which one should you use?
Use pēpē specifically for an infant or baby, whereas keiki is a more general term for a child.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'the baby', add the article ka before pēpē (ka pēpē). To say 'a baby', use the indefinite article he before pēpē (he pēpē).
Did you know?
- Because Hawaiian uses a small set of consonants, the English 'b' in 'baby' was adapted into the p sound to create pēpē.
- In some traditional contexts, keiki is used to describe the 'youngest' member of a group, even if that person is an adult.
- The word keiki shares a common ancestor with the words for 'child' found in many other islands across the Pacific, such as the Mangarevan teiti.
Examples in context
- He aha ka inoa o kou pēpē?What's your baby's name?
- Ua hānai ʻia ka pēpē.The baby was fed.
Example conversation
Leilani and Koa are looking at a photo of a newborn.
- LeilaniHe pēpē nani kēia!This is a beautiful baby!
- KoaʻAe, he pēpē nani loa.Yes, a very beautiful baby.
- LeilaniHe aha ka inoa?What is the name?
- KoaʻO Kai kona inoa.His name is Kai.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baby” translations and entries pēpē, keiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries keiki, pēpē, CC BY-SA 4.0.
