mākuʻa
The Hawaiian word for 'brown' is mākuʻa.
mākuʻa is used to describe something that is brown in color. If you are specifically referring to a lighter shade of brown or a tan color, the word koa may be used instead.
Meaning: having a brown color/colour (adj)
Which one should you use?
While mākuʻa is the general term for brown, koa is used for lighter shades of brown or tan.
Did you know?
- The word mākuʻa is a homonym that also means 'parent'. In the Hawaiian language, the same word is used to describe both a brown color and a father or mother.
- The koa tree is so culturally significant that the word for the color also evokes strength and bravery, as koa can mean 'warrior' or 'brave' in different contexts.
- While mākuʻa means brown, the word for the dark brown of the earth is often ʻeleʻele, which is also the word for 'black'. The distinction between dark brown and black is frequently blurred in Hawaiian.
Examples in context
- ʻO kāna lauoho he koa.Her hair is brown.
Example conversation
Ikaika and Kiana are looking at a piece of wood.
- IkaikaHe pōhaku mākuʻa kēlā?Is that a brown stone?
- KianaʻAe, he pōhaku mākuʻa kēlā.Yes, that is a brown stone.
- IkaikaHe nani kēlā mea.That thing is beautiful.
- KianaʻAe, he nani kēlā.Yes, that is beautiful.
