kaikamahine uʻi
/ˌkai̯.ka.maˈhi.ne ˈu.ʔi/word by word
The phrase beautiful girl is said in Hawaiian as kaikamahine uʻi.
This phrase is used to describe a young woman or girl who is physically attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of kaikamahine (girl) and uʻi (beautiful/handsome/fine).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Hawaiian, the adjective uʻi follows the noun kaikamahine it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌkai̯.ka.maˈhi.ne ˈu.ʔi/. The phrase has 7 syllables and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, beauty was not just physical but tied to mana or spiritual power. A person described as uʻi was often perceived as possessing a strong and positive spiritual presence.
- The word kaikamahine contains the prefix kai-, which is used in Hawaiian to denote family relationships, suggesting the word is deeply rooted in the concept of kinship.
- The word uʻi is gender-neutral and can be used to describe a beautiful woman, a handsome man or even a lovely object.
Examples in context
- Hō'ike i ke aloha i kēia wahine nani!Show your love for this beautiful girl!
- He kaikamahine uʻi.She is a beautiful girl.
Example conversation
Ikaika and Noelani are talking about a new student at school.
- IkaikaHe kaikamahine uʻi ka haumana hou.The new student is a beautiful girl.
- NoelaniʻAe, he uʻi loa ʻo ia.Yes, she is very beautiful.
- IkaikaHe aha kona inoa?What is her name?
- NoelaniʻO Leilani kona inoa.Her name is Leilani.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kaikamahine, uʻi) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kaikamahine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
