kaikuaʻana
/ˌkai̯ˌku.aˈʔa.na/
The Hawaiian phrase for big brother is kaikuaʻana.
kaikuaʻana is used to refer to a male sibling who is older than the person speaking.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has five syllables: /ˌkai̯ˌku.aˈʔa.na/. The stress is on the fourth syllable.
Did you know?
- Because the phrase relies on the speaker's gender, the English 'big brother' cannot be translated into one single Hawaiian word without knowing who is speaking.
- In traditional Hawaiian etiquette, addressing an older sibling by their name alone can sometimes be seen as disrespectful without an appropriate title.
- The term kuaʻana is linguistically linked to the concept of being 'above' or 'before' in terms of birth order.
Examples in context
- He kaikuaʻana kēia.This is a big brother.
Example conversation
Malia is introducing Ikaika to a friend.
- MaliaE ʻike mai i koʻu kaikuaʻana.Meet my big brother.
- IkaikaAloha! He inoa ʻo Ikaika au.Hello! My name is Ikaika.
- MaliaHe kanaka maikaʻi ʻo Ikaika.Ikaika is a good person.
- IkaikaMahalo, Malia.Thank you, Malia.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry kaikuaʻana, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
