pea
/ˈpe.a/
The Hawaiian word for bear is pea.
pea refers to a large mammal of the family Ursidae.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of two syllables. The first syllable is stressed. It is pronounced /ˈpe.a/.
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian, the sound of the letter p is an unaspirated stop, meaning it sounds more like an English 'b' than a 'p'.
- The word pea is a direct phonetic borrowing from the English word 'bear'.
- The vowel a at the end of pea is a required addition because Hawaiian syllables must always end in a vowel.
Examples in context
- He pea nui kēia.This is a large bear.
Example conversation
Kiana and Keanu are looking at a picture book of animals.
- KianaHe pea kēia?Is this a bear?
- KeanuʻAe, he pea kēlā.Yes, that is a bear.
- KianaHe mea ʻēwē nui kēlā pea.That bear is a very big thing.
- KeanuʻAe, he mea ikaika kēlā.Yes, it is a strong thing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries pea, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
