polū
/poˈluː/
The Hawaiian word for blue is polū.
polū is used as an adjective to describe something that is blue-coloured. For more specific shades, you may also look for terms for dark blue or light blue.
Meaning: blue-coloured (adj)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/poˈluː/
Did you know?
- Because Hawaiian lacks certain consonant sounds, the English 'b' in 'blue' was replaced with a 'p' to create polū.
- In many Polynesian languages, words for 'blue' and 'green' are part of the same linguistic category, reflecting a way of seeing the natural world.
- In traditional Hawaiian, the word polū was often used more broadly to describe various cool tones, including some shades of green or purple that English speakers distinguish as separate colors.
Examples in context
- Polū ka pua liʻiliʻi.The little flower is blue.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe a flower as blue using polū.Tatoeba #4856425 by nonong, translation #10161005 by ToxicFriu
- Polū ka moana.The ocean is blue.
- He hale polū kēia.This is a blue house.
Example conversation
Noelani and Kai are looking at a piece of clothing.
- NoelaniHe polū ka kameka i kēia?Is this shirt blue?
- KaiʻAe, he polū polū ia.Yes, it is very blue.
- NoelaniMakemake au i ka polū.I like blue.
- KaiHe polū nō kou mea pū.Your one is blue too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry polū, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
