ʻaina kakahiaka
/ˈʔai̯.na ˌka.ka.hiˈa.ka/
The Hawaiian phrase for breakfast is ʻaina kakahiaka.
ʻaina kakahiaka refers to the first meal of the day.
Meaning: first meal of the day (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ʻaina (food/eat) and kakahiaka (morning), literally meaning "morning food".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔai̯.na ˌka.ka.hiˈa.ka/. The word has 7 syllables and the first syllable is stressed.
What mistakes should you avoid?
In pidgin, breakfast is often referred to as brakfass rather than the standard Hawaiian term.
Did you know?
- Hawaiian has no single word for 'breakfast', 'lunch' or 'dinner'. Instead, it combines the general word for food, ʻaina, with the time of day, such as kakahiaka for morning.
- If you use the word ʻaina in a sentence, you might be talking about eating, the land itself, or even a specific territory. Context is crucial to distinguish between a 'morning meal' and 'morning land'.
- The glottal stop, represented by the ʻ in ʻaina, is a true consonant. Skipping this sound can change the meaning of the word entirely, making it crucial for being understood during breakfast.
Examples in context
- He ʻaina kakahiaka kēia.This is breakfast.
Example conversation
Koa and Malia are in the kitchen in the morning.
- KoaMalia, ua holo pū mākou i ka ʻaina kakahiaka?Malia, shall we go to breakfast together?
- MaliaʻAe, e nāu nā puaʻa.Yes, you bring the pork.
- KoaE hiki mai ana au me ka ʻaina kakahiaka.I will arrive with the breakfast.
- MaliaMahalo, Koa!Thank you, Koa!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breakfast” translations and entries ʻaina kakahiaka, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
