pia
The Hawaiian word for beer is pia. Wiktionary also lists bia.
Meaning: alcoholic drink made of malt (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian |
|---|
| pia |
| bia |
This noun refers to an alcoholic drink made of malt.
Did you know?
- The term pia in its ancestral form is linked to the Malay word 'rumbia', tracing a linguistic path from Southeast Asia to Hawaii.
- While 'beer' is a loanword, the word pia originally referred to a starch extracted from the sago palm in other Polynesian languages. An English speaker might be confused to find the same word used for both a palm starch and an alcoholic beverage.
- While modern Hawaiian uses pia for 'beer', in many other Polynesian languages, the word pia still refers specifically to the sago palm starch.
Examples in context
- Makemake au i kēia pia.I want this beer.
Example conversation
Malia and Ikaika are at a barbecue.
- MaliaHe pia paha kou, Ikaika?Do you have a beer, Ikaika?
- IkaikaʻAe, aia nō ka pia.Yes, there is beer.
- MaliaMahalo, e hāʻawi mai.Thanks, give me some.
- IkaikaEia nō kou pia, Malia.Here is your beer, Malia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beer” translations and entries pia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
