pōpōhīnaʻi
The Hawaiian word for basketball is pōpōhīnaʻi.
The word refers to the sport of basketball.
Meaning: the sport (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is derived from the root pōpō, which means ball.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the concept of 'ball' in pōpō often referred to coconut shells or stones rather than modern inflated spheres.
- The ʻokina in pōpōhīnaʻi is not a punctuation mark but a full consonant that creates a glottal stop in the throat.
- In daily life, many native speakers will use the English loanword 'basketball' instead of pōpōhīnaʻi due to the sport's cultural dominance in Hawaii.
Examples in context
- Makemake kēia ke keiki i ka pōpōhīnaʻi.This child likes basketball.
Example conversation
Leilani and Koa are talking about their favorite sports.
- LeilaniHe aha kou hĀʻawi pōpō?What is your favorite ball sport?
- KoaKe aloha nei au i ka pōpōhīnaʻi.I love basketball.
- LeilaniHana kāua pōpōhīnaʻi i kēia lā.Let's play basketball today.
- KoaʻAe, hele kāua!Yes, let's go!
